Secrets and Lullabies
by FraesThatAgain
Summary: AU. When a replacement dancer came into her life just a day before her opening show, Santana Lopez began to feel like she could experience something that she had not been experiencing for a long time. It seemed like everywhere she goes, the dancer seemed to be there. Neither of them knew that the secrets they kept would affect their future. (Rated M for later chapters)
1. Chapter 1 - The Encounter

A/N: This is my first attempt on a multi-chapter so be nice because I don't exactly know how this story will end. And also, English isn't my first language so there will be some mistakes here and there but I tried. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this chapter and leave a review if you like; it would help me a lot. Thank you. :)

/

CHAPTER 1

"Huff, new year, new beginnings," you sighed as you walked onto the stage that was still being set up.

Your presence seemed to have stopped multiple people from what they were doing. Some were smiling politely; others were bluntly checking you out. That was something you hated about this job but there was nothing you could do about it.

People were all over the place, hoping that this show would go as smoothly as all your other smaller shows, only hundreds times bigger. It was chaotic as usual and you were still not used to the uncomfortable amount of people trying to get your attention to either try on your outfit or do sound checks. However, there was only one person that had been helping you throughout your journey. She was your best friend ever since high school. She may be a little insane but that was something you absolutely loved about her.

Speak of the devil.

"Santana!" Quinn waved her hand as she closed the gap between you two. "I have good news and bad news."

"Don't tell me we're already out of chocolates," you whined.

"What? No, no, we still have a crate of those in the bus," she laughed but it quickly dissipate. "This is much worst, McKenzie… she, um… she fainted during one of the rehearsals and she's not in the perfect condition to perform with you tomorrow."

"Great, what are we going to do now?" you crossed your arms and faced away from the blonde. "Is she gonna be okay?"

Quinn took out her phone and opened a text. She began reading it out loud and to your relief, McKenzie was in stable condition but too weak to even pop a few moves. Quinn inched closer to you as she placed her hand on your shoulders. The urge to swat it away was so great but you couldn't do it because she was your best friend, someone you trust, someone you were afraid to hurt. So you just let it be and tightened your crossed arms.

"Tell Kenzie I sent her get-well wishes," you finally voiced out. "And while you're at it, try finding someone to take her place for tomorrow, if it's possible of course."

Quinn patted your shoulder as a gesture that she had taken note and walked away. You stood there for the next few minutes, trying to absorb what had just happened when the sound guy walked over to you to inform you that they were ready for the sound check. You sighed and nodded at him as he handed you a microphone.

/

As you sat in the green room freaking out, Quinn barged in it, bringing you up on your feet.

"What the hell, Q?!" you screamed. "Ever heard of knocking?"

"Sorry," she said unapologetically. "As I promised, here's your temporary backup dancer."

A tall blonde in an oversized knitted beanie, white striped shirt, pants and uggs stood to the right of Quinn. You didn't even noticed her until Quinn acknowledged her presence. Not to be rude, you offered a small smile and a small nod as a form of greeting.

"Hi, I'm Brittany Pierce," the tall blonde stretched her hand out for you, smiling. "I was a backup dancer for Beyonce."

"Santana Lopez," you warily shook her hand. "Are you good? Sorry… what I meant to say was do you know the moves?"

_Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. Asking a professional dancer whether she knew how to dance? You're a fucking genius, Lopez._

Quinn was already burning holes into the side of your head and the other blonde just stood there, obviously taken aback by your question. But when you heard her giggled, you felt relieved and relax. Thank god she wasn't offended by that ingeniously stupid question of yours. The last thing you wanted now was to lose another dancer which could possibly leave you with probably one hell of a boring show – not that it would, of course.

Quinn was still glaring at you, which made you so uncomfortable and embarrassed that you would do anything to run away and hide from the tall blonde forever. But running away would only make that tall blonde feel unwanted. You took in a deep breath before gathering what was left of your dignity to face her again. The smile on her face reassured you that she didn't take any offence to what you had just said.

"Yes actually," her voice was so sweet. "Ms Fabray here showed me some of her personal recordings of the rehearsal. I think I've got it covered."

"Good to know," unable to look in her eyes, you began playing with your hands. "Um, Quinn, can I talk to you for a second?"

You pulled Quinn to the opposite corner of the room where it was beyond earshot for Brittany. You took a glimpse over your friend's shoulder to the other blonde before frowning at your friend. You could easily tell that Quinn was not comfortable but the way she masked it was rather impressive. If it wasn't for all the years of being her friend and studying her, you couldn't possibly tell that she was hiding it.

You waited for a few more moments and when she didn't say anything, you scowled at her before giving the taller blonde another stare.

Sensing what you were trying to say, Quinn cleared her throat and held both of your hands to prevent you from landing a punch on her face before your conversation ended or from crossing your arms.

"Santana, trust me on this," she stared into your eyes to find some trust. "Brittany is remarkably talented; needless to say she has performed for Beyonce. Just give her a chance to prove herself."

"Ugh, fine whatever," you rolled your eyes at her before staring back at the taller blonde.

As much as you want to say how much you didn't like that new girl, her beauty just took your breath away. She was one hell of a beautiful lady but of course, being the Santana Lopez everyone knows, no one can be more beautiful than you. Sometimes people like Brittany makes you think twice about your own beauty.

Shaking yourself out of your daze, you directed Brittany to perform the rehearsed routine for you. To your surprise – not really – she was actually a really good dancer. There was no denying that she can keep a pretty face throughout the routine and even added a little more fun to it. It took you awhile to get back on earth after that amazing performance and choreography – actually, it was McKenzie's but _you_ get what _I_ mean.

It was Quinn's nudge to your head that brought you back down to earth. You were still a little amazed by how flawless she was considering she only learned it in a short period of time. With a slow clap, you walked slowly toward her and your mouth still agape.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Brittany laughed at your obvious scoping.

_Way to go, Lopez. Way to be subtle._

"I'm sorry, I'm just blown away by what'd just happened," you tried to hide the little blush on your face. "Anyways, welcome to the club, Blondie."

You reached out your hand to her which she gladly shook before facing Quinn for whatever might happen next.

"Brittany, could you wait for me at the break room?" Quinn pointed her to the door before pointing to you. "I have to talk to Ms Lopez for a while."

As instructed, she headed out of the room and disappeared from view. Quinn quickly faced you as soon as she was sure Brittany was gone and that smirk that spread on her face made you uncomfortable in places. She crossed her arms as she walked slowly toward you.

"I didn't know little miss bitchy over here has some manners," she teased.

"Shut up," you countered. "I was just trying to be nice. We wouldn't want to chase away our only hope, would we? Besides, I barely know her."

"Doesn't sound like you at all," she shoved your right shoulder gently. "And what was that flirting all about?"

"**That **wasn't me, that was totally her," you were quick to defend yourself. "And when did you get all formal in addressing me, huh?"

"Since forever?" she creased her brows together. "And stop changing topics. Anyways, I got a hot blonde waiting for me, so I'll catch up with you later."

With that, Quinn spun around and left. You back up against the wall and thought about what had just happened. Somehow, this Brittany girl made you look like you've forgotten yourself; the mean, unapologetic self. How did she do it? You had no idea but you really wanted to find out how. Even if it meant spending more time with her, so be it.

/

It had been a few hours since your first encounter with possibly the best dancer you've seen and the image of her dancing for you was still very fresh in your mind. As you walked across the stage for one final check, you saw a familiar figure behind the stage curtains to the right of the stage.

You quietly paced toward the subject with your back slightly hunched. As you neared the subject, you could hear soft echoes of music coming from what could possibly be the person's headphones. Once you were close enough to identify whoever it was, you let out a relief sigh as you watched her danced but this time, it wasn't as intense as the one you previously saw. This time, it was more relax like a leisure workout. You leaned against the stage curtain (or rather, hugged it so you wouldn't fall) as you continue embracing the way her body moved to the music.

"It's not polite to spy on people you know," said the still dancing girl whose back was facing you.

You shuffled on your feet and placed your left hand on the back of your neck, trying to think of some clever excuses but nothing seemed to prevail.

"Hey, it's okay," she finally decided to turn around and look at you as she turned the music off.

"Sorry for disturbing you," you apologized. "I should probably leave so you can practice."

"No, no, I don't mind some company," she replied. "What are you doing here this late?"

You found that particular question rather self-explanatory considering this was supposed to be your concert and you had the rights to come onto the stage and do some final checks of your own just so the concert would go as smoothly as possible. It was also mainly because you had always been skeptical about everyone who plans or prepares your shows.

"I was just doing some final checks," you shrugged. "Why are you here?"

"I don't know, familiarizing myself with the surroundings I guess," she let out a weak laugh.

Oh no, not only was she able to let your guard down, her laugh could literally melt you within seconds. No Santana, get your shit together. When the hell did you become so weak? She was just another person who might probably just walk out of your life after a few days… or weeks if you're unlucky. Wait, lucky? You don't even know anymore.

She wasn't so bad though. Maybe if you tried hard enough, you could possibly like her. Who knows? She's been rather cool and bearable so far.

"Um… Ms Lopez, are you there?" Brittany waved her hand as she tilted her head to the side to see if you were listening which you obviously weren't.

"Huh?" you said.

"I was just telling you about the meeting," she creased her brows in amusement. "Before the last rehearsal?"

"Oh right, sorry again," you looked down in embarrassment. "I'll… I'll see you in the morning. You know, during the meeting."

She just threw you a smile before turning her back to you and continued practicing. You made sure you took a few steps back just so she thought you've walked away to do whatever you were doing. There was merely ten meters between you two and far enough to give her the impression that you were gone.

Like a newborn creeper you were, you watched her every move; studying every pop, lock and even gentle waves. You could literally set fire to her clothes with just your stare. It only took her a few minutes to realize that you had been staring at her. You were still in your own little world even when she had stopped her movements. It was only when she was right in front of you and tapped on your shoulder that you were brought out of your stupor. Again.

The smile on her face made you flushed. She was hesitant to hold your hand and bring you to her own little dancing corner. Sensing that you were okay with it, she gently held your left hand and pulled you there. There was a tingle in the spot she held you and when she let go, you subconsciously let out a little whine, making her smile wider.

"You know, you should really work on being a little more subtle," she joked. "Your heavy breathing had interrupted my focus."

With that said, you really felt like running away and hiding yourself in your bunk for days. Before you could even respond to her sentence, she had already grabbed you by the hand and played a familiar tune through the speaker of her iPod. Of course it had to be one of your songs considering she was your dancer.

"C'mon Ms Lopez," she urged you to join her. "If you don't want to dance, maybe you can sing so I can nail this choreography down. What do you say?"

"I… Not that I don't… don't want to," you stuttered. "I'm just not… comfortable."

"You do realize that you are a singer and you have shows almost for the next month right?" she mocked anger at you. "I understand that you don't feel comfortable but please, let's get real here."

"What? Who do you think you're talking to?" you countered, feeling like you've just been stomped on.

"Whoa, relax Ms Lopez," she tried to calm you. "I was just teasing you. I know you don't like singing to a person in particular. C'mere."

She tried to hug it out with you but you were already starting to dislike how she acts. No one ever insults Santana Lopez. Even if they do, they never get away with it. Like ever. But for Quinn's sake, you decided to give this woman another chance. If this happens again, you would not hesitate to chase this girl away, even if that leaves you with one dancer short. Now, you just had to get over this awkward hug before leaving Blondie here to finish her work.

She looked confused when you turned and began to walk away. Knowing that confronting you would be a terrible idea, she sighed and went on with her practice. When you turned around to see how she reacted to your move, you felt a little guilt-ridden when you saw how hurt and embarrassed she was. If only you could learn how not to be a bitch to everyone you meet.

Gathering what was left of your nobility, you stopped and turned back around. You took in a few deep breaths to calm your nerves as well as think about what you were going to say to her.

"Hey Brittany," you shouted, trying to keep as much sincerity as you could muster in the tone. "You know what? I changed my mind. I would love to help you nail this routine down and even spice it up a bit. We would love a near perfect, if not perfect, show tomorrow."

Her frown quickly turned into a smile as she dashed out to hug you and this time, you were more than happy to return it. Seeing this particular blonde upset just wasn't right, even if she has a really bad sense of humor but hey, you probably wouldn't know how bad or good her sense of humor was with just one joke.

As the time passed, you were beginning to feel like Brittany wasn't so bad after all. Sure she was little immature but you found it oddly cute. She even bothered to help you perfect your own choreograph which was way less intense than hers but it definitely help you move more without losing your breath easily.

Just like that, two hours had passed and both of you were covered in sweat and panting. It was definitely the most you've exercised and it was taking a toll on your poor stamina. On another note, both of you certainly had your respective routines nailed down to almost perfection. You were so tired that you didn't even care if you were laying flat on the ground. That was something you would never do before but you were too tired to care now.

You could feel Brittany looking at you while you were on the floor with your eyes closed. It was not those kinds of perverted stare but more of empathetic one. You peeked a little to see what she was doing while looking at you. It made you worried when you saw how hesitant she was on whether to lie down next to you or give you some space.

"Brittany, is something bothering you?" you asked out of curiosity and also concern.

"It's nothing," she mumbled. "I was just… I don't know. I'm glad I got this job, even if it's temporary."

Just the word "temporary" itself made you sad, knowing that this one hell of a talented dancer was only here to cover for your other dancer and that you might not be able to see her anymore. There was something between you two but it was not attraction, not yet. There was definitely something; a possible friendship maybe?

You settled with just a nod before closing your eyes again and try to relax your body after such an intense session. Brittany on the other hand was already up on her feet and doing stretches to make sure her muscles wouldn't ache so much the next morning. She did asked you to join her but you were far too tired to even stand, so she let you off even if it would cost you a full body ache the next morning. She knew better than to force Santana Lopez into anything.

/

"Ms Lopez? Are you awake?" a familiar voice whispered as it tapped lightly on your right shoulder.

You grunted lazily and swatted away the hand that had been tapping your shoulder. Your brows were knitted as you rolled onto your side. Another wave of tapping began, forcing you to irately wake up from your little nap and almost sent you to go Lima Heights on that person until you found out who it was.

"Britt- Brittany? Brittany," you sat up straighter, realizing what you were just about to do to her. Your hand was still in mid-air about to slap whoever it was. "I… I didn't realize it was you. Sorry, force of habit."

You quickly retrieved your hand and looked down in embarrassment. Brittany sported a surprised look on her face and her eyes were still fixed on your hand, trying to register what had just happened. She lightly shook her head and cleared her throat before informing you that it was getting pretty late and it was probably best to head back to your room before anything happens, not that anything could happen but it was sweet of her to worry about your wellbeing.

You stood up, feeling self-conscious about how you look considering you just lay flat on the stage floor right after your little session with the dancer and knowing that your hair was definitely in a mess.

When you looked up to see her face, you were not surprise to see the smile on her face and maybe a muffled giggle. You crossed your arms and tilted your head to the side, hoping to get an explanation to what she found funny, beside the fact that your hair was in a mess and how awful you looked.

"Nothing," she lied. "It's late and you'd probably want to head back to your room."

"Bus, I'm staying in the band bus," you corrected. "How long have I been sleeping here?"

"Around thirty minutes. I didn't want to bother you at first but I guess sleeping somewhere more comfortable would be more practical."

You thanked her before looking at the backstage entrance for anyone who might still be around. Other than the lone security guard who was apparently sleeping during his shift, no one else was to be seen. You smiled faintly before making your way to the backstage entrance.

You fished out your phone and were expecting hundreds of missed calls and text messages from Quinn, and as said, she did left a couple of voicemails and at least six texts. You briefly skimmed through the texts before paying her a call.

"_What the hell, Santana?_" she sounded pissed. "_Did you know how worried I was? Where the hell are you?_"

"Calm down, Q," you pulled the receiver away from your ear before pressing it back onto your ear. "I was just with Brittany, correcting our routines. I'm backstage right now; I'll be back in the bus in a minute."

"_You better be, people are already asking about your whereabouts_," she hissed.

"Ugh, fine," you hung up the phone and slowly made your way to the bus.

Before you even got the chance to enter the bus, Quinn had pounced on you. The look on her face made you not want to talk about what you were doing while you were "missing". You tried entering the bus but Quinn was blocking the doorway with both her arms. You scowled at her before demanding her to let you in.

"Not before you tell me what you were doing back there," her tone serious.

"Q, I've already told you," you reminded her. "I was going through the routine with Brittany. That's all. Now let me in."

She didn't believe you when she noticed how messy your hair were and how smudged up your makeup was. She crossed her arms and her glare forced you to explain further.

"Nothing happened between Brittany and I," you stressed on. "I took a nap on the stage after the session and that made my hair messy. And my makeup was ruined because of all the sweat. Look, I promise you nothing had happened."

With that, Quinn stepped aside to let you in but she was still not buying your story. Her brows were still furrowed when you two met in the main area in the bus, next to the bunks. You let out a sigh and turned to face Quinn who was standing in the narrow hallway with her arms still crossed and seemed to be studying you. You tried to divert the attention to something totally different.

"You mentioned something about good news earlier this morning," you asked. "What was it?"

"The doctor said that McKenzie will be fit to perform again later this week," she answered slowly, still suspicious.

"Quinn, listen, what I told you just now was completely true," you stared into the hazel eyes. "If you still do not believe me, try calling Brittany then. I'm sure she'll tell you the truth."

Quinn gave you a final look before fishing out her phone and searching through her contacts. Once she found the one she was looking for, she went outside just so she didn't have to look at you or even let you see how she would react once she found out that you were in fact telling her the truth.

Five minutes had passed and Quinn was still outside. From what you knew, Quinn wouldn't bother fishing for information as silly as a work affair. She focused more on calls regarding business and anything that has to do with your concerts or availability.

You turned around and knelt on the built-in sofa to look out the window and to where Quinn was standing. You were expecting her to still be on the phone but she wasn't. She was just pacing around in circles, thinking about something. You're not so sure what exactly but your guts were telling you that it had something to do with you. It was barely a minute later when Quinn turned around and began walking back into the band bus. You quickly spun around and sat innocently on the sofa.

Quinn quickly walked back to the main area and stood where she was previously, in the hallway. The look on her face told you that she was embarrassed at how silly she was being. Her eyes were transfixed to the floor. Her mouth did open a few times but nothing really came out of it. In the end, she walked closer to you before deciding on what to say.

"I'm sorry for losing it on you just now," Quinn apologized. "I was just looking out for you."

You knew exactly where she was going. You hate being reminded of your high school past and how it hurt you so much, you treated everyone you meet as badly as how you treated the person who did that to you.

"I'm sorry too," you whispered, eyes looking everywhere but at Quinn. "For not informing you earlier."

There was a moment of awkwardness between the both of you. It was only when Kurt entered the area that the awkwardness started to fade away. Thank god Kurt didn't mention anything about the odd atmosphere in the room but you knew he sensed something. Instead, he sort of forced you put on the facemask before heading to bed to which you obediently complied.

Kurt was acting rather strange the moment he walked in. He hadn't really said anything other than the directions you have to take in order to get every spot on your skin covered. He was usually chatty and smiley but tonight, he only speaks when he has to. Other than that, he would just keep his mouth shut.

"Spill it," you said sternly to him.

He looked at you confused and his lips were slightly parted but nothing really did come out of his mouth. You felt a little impatient and turned around completely to face him. You swore you could see beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Kurt, I know you're hiding something," you added when he did not answer you. "Either you spill it or I'm going to force it out of you."

Kurt fidgeted with the warm towel in his hands as he fixed his eyes to the ground, finding it more interesting than you. You could tell that he did not want to talk about it but the stubborn part of you wanted to know really badly. Kurt could feel the intensity between the two of you increasing and he knew that if he kept quiet any longer, you would go all Lima Heights on him.

As much as you didn't like to rage on your friends, you also didn't want anything to be kept a secret between them and yourself. Your arms were always crossed when situations like this emerged.

"It's nothing really," he finally decided to speak up. "I… I kind of heard what you and Quinn were talking about."

You didn't cared so much about that though. You knew something else was bothering him but poor guy; maybe you should give him some space. Maybe let him keep a personal secret.

You just let him go this time around, figuring that you've also been through some bullshit with Quinn earlier. Kurt's hands worked awkwardly on applying the mask to your face that you could feel how stiff he was based on how rough he was working on your face. You tried not to let it bother you so much (even though it did) and tried to think back to the memory of dancing with her on stage, even if it was a practice session.

You noticed that Kurt had been eyeing his wrist watch every now and then, and by the tenth time he did it, you immediately asked him to stop whatever he was doing and just let him go without any further questions.

Kurt smiled meekly at you before heading for the exit. You didn't miss him brushed past Quinn who was leaning against the wall, watching you get your facial done. She stood there with her arms loosely crossed and one leg supporting most of her body weight. How long have she been standing there? You didn't bother to find out. Instead, you made your way toward the sofa you were on and lay down on it, keeping your eyes partially closed so you could still see what Quinn was doing.

She had been standing there motionless for the past five minutes staring at you getting your night facial done. Her presence and stare just made you super uncomfortable. You were just hoping that she would turn around and leave but she didn't. You finally decided to break the silence.

"What do you want?"

"Look, I'm sorry," Quinn uncrossed her arms and walked closer to you. "I shouldn't have assumed."

"You know what? Just forget it," you snapped. "I don't want to hear any more of it."

"Santana, just hear me out for a moment," she sat down by your legs, one hand cupping your knee. "I really shouldn't have brought up the past. I know how ashamed you were and I am terribly sorry for what I said."

You kept quiet, not trusting yourself to speak.

"Please say something," she urged you.

You still did not want to trust yourself on saying anything because there was a fifty percent chance that you'd snapped at her again and caused more complications to your already-complicated friendship.

Quinn looked disappointed when you didn't reply her. With her head hung low, she stood up and quietly informed you that she was going to head to bed. Again, you kept still and eyes shut as you hear her walked away. Sometimes you really hate yourself for being like this but old habits die hard.

Once she was gone, you took out your phone and searched for a particular number. You stared at the number for a brief moment before deciding to send a text to it.

**Santana: **Hey girl, are you alright? What'd the doctor say to you? xx

You balanced your phone on your stomach as you wait for the reason. It took the person a while to reply to your text that you've already fallen in and out of sleep, waiting for it. The vibration on your stomach plunged you out of your sleep, causing your phone to abruptly fall to the floor. You reached out for the gadget and fumbled with your fingers to view the message.

**McKenzie:** I'm alright, just a lil lightheaded. So how's it hanging? – K

**Santana:** Q got us a temporary dancer & guess what? She's hella good dancer. But u'd still be my fav. :-) xx

It took her a while to reply to you. At the mean time, you got up to wash the face mask off and brushed your teeth. You had already freshened yourself up and changed to a fresh, comfortable pair of baggy pants and t-shirt that was a size too large. Hey, a girl must feel comfortable when she's not doing anything or trying to impress someone.

Just as you landed on your bunk, your phone buzzed. You looked at the time and realized that it took McKenzie almost half an hour to reply you.

**McKenzie:** Sorry San, the doc had 2 take my blood pressure before I head to bed, hence the delay. I hope 2 see that so-called awesome dancer of urs soon! ;) Anyways, I've gotta go, ttyl dimpleface. – K

You smiled at the cute nickname she gave you and of course, your dimples were showing. Talking to McKenzie always seemed to brighten up your day – in this case, night. You hadn't seen her in almost a week (might have been a little exaggerated… more like three days) and you were already starting to miss her. She was someone really special to you, other than Quinn of course.

You were still worried for her. Mainly because she might not move as elegantly as well as badass as she was before. But you were more focused on hoping she would recover so you get to see her again. She lives in another state so if she were never to dance again, there was a possibility of not getting to see her for a long period of time.

As your thoughts washed over you, you began to feel yourself drift slowly into sleep. So far, life has been pretty unpredictable and you seemed to be handling it quite well. Life has been good so far.

/


	2. Chapter 2 - Show Time

A/N: I'd just want to take some time to congratulate HeMo and Taylor for the birth of their new child, Elijiah, and Naya and Big Sean on their engagement! I'm a little overwhelmed by all this sudden news but all I can do now is be happy for them. :)

CHAPTER 2 – SHOW TIME

You felt a ticklish sensation at the sole of your feet and you tried to kick it away. It seemed to work for awhile but it eventually returned. You grunted as you shifted on your bunk bed but not wanting to get up just yet. Without warning, a large soft object hit you hard on your stomach. You immediately sprung out of bed and knocked your head on to the bottom of another bunk bed that was above you. You hissed in pain as you soothed the bump on your forehead.

Clearly you were pissed off by that douchebaggery move – you know that word doesn't exist but let's just pretend it does. You were not at all surprise to know that it was the work of your assistant choreographer Mike Chang. He was known to pull off such stunts but always gets away with them. That was one of the advantages of being an insanely likable and charismatic dancer, not to mention that rock-hard abs he was hiding underneath that tank top.

He assisted you off of your second-level bunk bed. Your eyes were still tightly shut together as you pulled yourself out of bed and let Mike guide you toward the extremely small toilet area at the back of the band bus. Sometimes you just wished you could stay in some random hotel just so you could have a proper shower (or even a bath) and sleep in a more comfortable still bed as compared to your bunk bed which kept shaking every time the bus moves.

You slurred out random words to Mike who just laughed at you. Your vision was still blurry and you didn't even bother to put on your contacts or glasses. You were just that lazy that particular morning. Mike even helped you applied some toothpaste to your toothbrush. Hell, he even wanted to help you brush your teeth. What a _gentleman_.

"Geez, Michael," you hissed, eyes still tightly shut. "I have hands, you know."

He just laughed at your seriousness, knowing that you would never punch him. You rolled your eyes while they were still closed and snatched your toothbrush away from him.

"How 'bouts you go wait outside?" you demanded. "I wants be alone."

"Maybe you should go get some English lessons," he joked.

"Shut the fuck up, Chang."

He strolled out of the area and turning around to throw you one more smile before shutting the door behind him. You stared at the reflection of the door on the mirror for a while longer before cautiously started brushing your teeth, eyes still on the door.

What's with people lately? Just because you finally made it big doesn't mean you can't do mundane stuff. Brushing your teeth for you, seriously? That just hurt your pride a little.

You spat out the foam and rinsed your mouth, eyes now shifting between your own reflection and the small digital clock installed at the bottom left corner of the mirror. You were not exactly sure why in the world someone would want to install a clock in the toilet area, not to mention in that of a band bus.

You were a little pissed that Mike decided to force you out of bed two hours prior to the morning meeting because it was still dark out and the meeting would only start at 8.30am. At least it gave you time to get a nice shower from the stadium's shower stalls. You were almost certain that no one would be crazy enough to get up early in the morning just to use the showers and the fact that it was a Saturday sort of made even more sense.

You stepped out of the toilet area and screamed at Mike who was munching on a bowl of Lucky Charms while lying on the sofa, watching some black and white cartoons on the readily available television mounted on the wall. He craned his neck back to look at you with his spoon still in his mouth.

"Firstly, why the hell did you wake me up at six in the morning?" you crossed your arms and narrowed your eyes. "And second, could you follow me to the stadium's shower stalls? I needs to freshen up."

"Well those are two completely different requests… um, questions?" he tilted his head. "First, I thought you'd like to go for a morning run, and sure, I would love me some washing up."

"You're kidding me right?" you rolled your eyes. "What're you waiting for? Go grab whatever you need; I'll be outside... and no, I would not like to go for morning run."

You stopped by your bunk and took out some semi-presentable clothes – a tight green with black stripes dress – suitable for a casual meeting. Quinn's bunk was just below yours and of course you had to look at how adorable she was, even after that misunderstanding that happened yesterday but she wasn't there. You breathed out a sigh and walked out of the bus. It wasn't much a surprise to see Mike there first. He was always punctual. You punched his arm lightly before leading him into the stadium.

It was literally like a maze in there but both of you eventually found your way to the locker room. Unfortunately, there were only showers in the male locker room – no, there were only male locker rooms from what you could find; way to be a sexist.

You went into the locker room while Mike promised to wait outside. It was no surprise that the room itself smelled of jock straps and body odour. The smell was unbearable that even you started to second guess yourself in taking a shower. Not wanting to bail out on your original plan and the fact that you were still covered in sweat from yesterday's intense session, you went ahead to the showers.

Speaking of yesterday's session, you suddenly felt stiff in your muscles. Maybe you should have listened to that blonde. Now you were going to suffer the consequences; not to mention have a serious joint and muscle aches while performing later.

Here's to hoping the warm water could soothe some of your pain away.

You were a little relieved that the water temperature of the shower was a little warm but was still too cold for your liking, but it was just about the right temperature for your aching body.

Soon enough, you got caught up with the sound of the water hitting your body and began humming to some songs which were not your own because you were kind of sick of singing the same songs over and over. You humming soon turned into quiet singing.

_**She loves her mama's lemonade,**_

_**Hates the sounds that goodbyes make.**_

_**She prays one day she'll find someone to need her.**_

_**She swears that there's no difference,**_

_**Between the lies and complements.**_

_**It's all the same if everybody leaves her.**_

By now you were on full-on singing mode and swaying side to side while the now-warm water washed your body. Never have you felt this relaxed and freshened up since you set off for tour two days ago.

You had been stuck in the band bus with your crew on the road for two whole days – even though you were still in Los Angeles where you started since you set off – and the driver did mention that they had a limited water supply so showering was not advisable.

You almost ran up to him and beat the crap out of him but Mike and Quinn managed to hold you back. You weren't sure if they were doing it because they care about you or just wanted that bus driver to stay with them so they wouldn't have to rent another bus. Either way, you were still unhappy with him.

You resumed your singing.

_**And every magazine tells her she's not good enough,**_

_**The pictures that she sees make her cry.**_

_**And she would change everything, everything just ask her.**_

_**Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster,**_

_**And she needs someone to take her home**_

Funny how the lyrics were the complete opposite of your life but you felt a strong connection to it somehow. You were slowly drifting into your own little world as you embraced the lyrics of the song, feeling all the emotions the singer was trying to portray. Your muscles were now loose enough to go on for another round of intense session and your body felt a whole lot energized.

_**She's giving boys what they want, tries to act so nonchalant,**_

_**Afraid they'll see that she's lost her direction.**_

_**She never stays the same for long,**_

_**Assuming that she'll get it wrong.**_

_**Perfect only in her imperfection.**_

Mid-song, you heard something moved behind you. It startled you a little as you quickly grabbed your towel and wrapped it around yourself. Mike was so dead.

"Mike! Don't fuck with me!" you warned. "Get the fuck out!"

However, the figure that emerged from behind the lockers was not who you thought it was. A pair of blue eyes stared back at you, smiling nervously at you.

You stood there shocked as you tried to register the person in your brain. Your mouth was agape and your hands grabbed the towel around you tighter.

"Br-Brittany," you stuttered.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," she looked down on the floor to prevent from staring at you who was almost naked as well as to hide her embarrassment.

You just stared at her in disbelief as if she was some sort of ghost or she had just casted paralyses spell onto you. The air was immediately filled with awkwardness as both of you looked everywhere but at each other.

As if sensing that you were in shock - which you obviously were, Brittany pointed her thumb over her shoulders. "I asked Mike if it was okay to go in, he just shrugged. I don't know if it meant 'go ahead' or 'I don't know' so I just went in. He didn't try to stop me though, so I just let myself in."

Brittany was clearly embarrassed and uncomfortable being in there but she didn't seem to be making her way out. You took it as if she wanted you to forgive her for walking in on you.

"Uh, no, no, it's okay," you spoke before you had time to think of the words you wanted to say. "I was just... finishing up. Why are you up so early?"

"I've just returned from my morning run," she replied. "Why are you..."

"Mike forced me out of bed," you rolled your eyes. "Something about working out... which never did happen."

She finally decided to make eye contact with you and let out a quiet laugh which made you blushed. Who knew you could blush? You've always thought that your ethnicity couldn't blush, well, you were obviously wrong.

"You have a beautiful voice," Brittany spoke softly.

"Um, I'm a singer?" it came out more like a question than a fact.

"Of course," she threw her head slightly to her right.

Another minute of awkward silence past before Brittany decided it was best to leave you alone while you finished up what you were doing. If you could take back what your previous thought of her was, you would. She was such polite person and you seemed to have grown a liking for her.

After you had worn your tight green and black striped dress, you went around the lockers to let Brittany know she was free to use the showers. You stood in front of the mirror with your back facing hers and made last checks on how you looked. Your hair seemed perfect even though it was still heavily damp and your makeup was sort of done but you couldn't be bothered to do it perfectly because it would soon be taken off for another round of makeup right before the performance.

After you were satisfied with your appearance, you took a deep breath to relax yourself and walked toward Brittany, tapping on her shoulder. Brittany turned around hastily and the first thing her eyes laid on was the area of your dress that was hugging your stomach. Her eyes momentarily widened at the view before it travelled up to where your eyes were.

"Take a photo, it'll last longer," you winked.

_Boom! How does that feel, Pierce? How does that feel to be teased by your own words?_

She was speechless after that unsuspected sentence from you. Her mouth was slightly parted and her pupils had widened.

"Okay Ms Pierce, I don't want you to set my outfit on fire," you joked. "Um… The shower's empty and you'd want to use it before anyone else comes in, namely Mike."

It took her a few seconds to realize that you were talking to her and stood up, allowing some space between you two. You had no idea what to do with your hands so you just played with the hem of your dress. She nodded slightly, remembering not to stare into your eyes for a long time before it turns into a creepy stare.

"So I'll see you later?" Brittany nervously smiled at you and walked past you, patting your shoulder.

You returned the smile and walked out of the room, making a mental note to have a word with Mike. He had already dozed off on the floor against the wall just outside the locker room. You didn't really care how tired or sound asleep he was as you smacked the back of his head hard and sent him jumping out of his sleep.

"What the- oh, hi Santana," he tried to stay calm, knowing how much he had angered you.

"Don't 'hi' me, Chang," you hissed. "What happened to not letting anyone in, huh?"

"Actually, you didn't say anything about letting anyone in," he corrected you, looking like a scared little puppy. "You just told me to stay outside."

You hate to admit it but he was right. However, you also didn't want to be in the wrong. So you blew another hard hit on his head and folded your arms. Mike instantly covered the part of his head to ease the pain and protect himself from your other incoming series of physical punishments which he really thought was unnecessary since he didn't really do anything wrong.

You picked up your used clothes that were left on the floor before you did the assaults on Mike and stomped away angrily. Mike was still very much confused but he didn't follow you back to the bus. You took it as if he really wanted that long-awaited shower.

You wanted to head to the bus but something interesting caught your eye. It was just a usual snack table but what was on top of it sent you jumping with joy. There sat a beautiful jar of the most beautiful thing in the world, breadsticks. Who knew they had them here? You dragged your feet toward the snack table and grabbed a stick, sniffing on it like it had the most beautiful fragrant – which of course it did. After munching a few sticks and stealing some for later, you headed back for the bus with your clothes now shoved into a plastic bag which you conveniently found laying there by the table.

Before you even got to enter the bus, Quinn had attacked you. The creepy smile on her face made you feel uneasy and you tried squeezing pass her.

"God, Quinn," you scowled. "Let me in, would you?"

"C'mon Santana!" she chirped. "It's Saturday! Your opening night!"

"Really? It's tonight?" you said sarcastically and smiled at her as you pushed her aside and went straight to your bunk, throwing the plastic bag onto it. Your other hand was still clutching multiple breadsticks.

"Where'd you get those from?" Quinn questioned, her head tilted and eyes studying your hand. "The last time I checked, there were no Breadstix in Los Angeles."

"On the snack table just outside the holding room," you began munching on one of the breadsticks.

"Where the meeting's held?"

"Guess so."

"Santana, you can't just take anything you like," she folded her arms.

"Why not? Aren't I the celebrity here?" you raised an eyebrow. "Isn't this _my_ concert?"

Quinn pushed you a little to make room for her on the sofa which you lazily laid out on. She was staring at you like you had just eaten something disgusting which in turn, was starting to make you lose your appetite.

"What?" you shifted uncomfortably.

Quinn remained silent for another few seconds before shaking her head. She noticed how damp your hair was and the coconut-y scent coming off you made her realized that you have had a shower. She couldn't believe what kind of a friend you were for not inviting her along.

Well first, you two got into a pretty immature fight last night and secondly, she wasn't even anywhere to be found.

"Where were you anyway?" you continued nibbling on the stick. "You weren't even here when I woke up."

"With Brittany, running," she shrugged.

"Well, that explains the pungent smell," your face scrunched up.

"Shut up," Quinn pushed you hard on your side as she got up and told you that she was heading for the showers, wherever it was.

/

The rest of the morning was pretty boring. The meeting was just about telling the crew and performers how hard they had worked and how great they were going to be, blah blah blah. The only thing that kept you awake in that horribly mind-numbing meeting was the fact that Brittany kept making occasional eye contacts with you.

As you walked out of the holding room and toward the makeshift dance studio, you whipped out your phone and started scrolling through your contacts. Once you found the person you were looking for, you sent her a text and waited for her reply.

Barely a minute had passed and your phone started vibrating.

**McKenzie:** I'm fine. How r u? Nervous for the opening show? Big huh? – K

**Santana:** Nvr better. Hell's yeah. U have no idea how freaking excited I am. This is it! I really wished u could be here. :-( xx

You were busy smiling stupidly at your phone to even notice Brittany staring at you from the side. Curiosity consumed her as she walked closer to you to find out what had been making you so happy. Another buzz went off and you immediately opened the text.

**McKenzie:** Me 2 but hey, I'm so proud of u! All those yrs of singing in ur shower & room finally paid off! :D How does it feel to be a star? – K

Your grin grew wider when you felt how happy she was. It was true; you had been trying for a very long time. The first song you ever tried singing was Itsy Bitsy Spider. Hey, you were a toddler, don't judge.

"Um, Santana?" a timid voice asked. "Who are you texting?"

You jumped out of your skin when you heard the voice. You could have sworn your heart had not only skipped a beat but probably three.

"Shit, Brittany," you tried to catch your breath. "I was just… texting a friend. The dancer… the dancer you replaced. Well, not exactly replaced but..."

You struggled to find your words when you saw how Brittany was staring you like she didn't understand a word you said. But eventually, that confused look on her face slowly replaced by an amused smile. To be honest, you felt quite intimidated by it. You lowered down your phone while still maintaining eye contact with the blonde.

"Why are you looking me like that?" you asked awkwardly.

She just shook her head and let out a giggle as she kept staring at you.

"Okaaay," your brows were now knitted together. "Then stop staring, it's creeping me out."

Brittany shrugged before dramatically twirling around, and went toward Mike and Kurt, who were busy squabbling with each other about some stuff you didn't even want to bother knowing.

You were still eyeing the blonde after she had reached the old married couple when another buzz went off. Your attention was quickly diverted to the phone you had in your hand and you unlocked your phone. The most recent text kind of showed how worried she was after you didn't reply for a full ten minutes since you were always with your phone.

**McKenzie:** Santana? Are you there?

**Santana:** Sorry Kenz, was talking to someone… Not much different but I gots to say, being famous kinda rocks. Free clothes, freebies. Well, mostly from fans. Medias don't really give me that kind of stuff. :-P xx

Not long after, another text came through.

**McKenzie:** Oooo, shameless much? Anyway, can't wait to see u perform tonight! ^_^ – K

**Santana: **Shut up & SHUT THE HELL UP! ARE U FO' REAL?!

You couldn't believe your eyes. Didn't she really mean what she sent to you? Wasn't she just at the hospital? Was this even real life? Nothing made sense to you at the moment. All you could think of was that McKenzie was coming to see you. Live or not, it still made up for the shitty morning you had.

**McKenzie:** Damn str8! & just so u know, I'm with Quinn right now. :) – K

**Santana:** DAMN, GIRL! U KNOW HOW TO MAKE ME HAPPY! XX

You pressed send and quickly tugged away your phone in your purse and went off to find Quinn. She was not in the holding room or the green room. This could only mean she was in the bus. You dashed there in record time, looking like a desperate foodie who just got told that there was free food stuffed in the bus.

"Whoa whoa, woman," Quinn raised both her hands in front of her. "Hold your horse."

"Where's Ken-"before you could even finished your sentence, McKenzie revealed herself from behind the wall that hid her away from you. "Kenzie! You little thing! C'mere!"

McKenzie walked up to you with arms wide open and embraced you tightly. "I missed you too, Santana. How long has it been? Four days?"

Those words made you looked even more pathetic. She was only gone for a mere four days and it felt like she was gone for ten years. You were literally crushing her tiny body in your arms. No words could express how happy you felt at that moment. You pulled away once you had enough of hugging.

"I freaking miss you!" you exclaimed. "How are you?"

"Super! The doctor told me I should be able to get back on stage by the next show," she grinned widely.

"Next week? That's great!" you said as you grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her slightly.

"Speaking of which, I can't wait to meet that so-called kick ass dancer of yours."

This went on for another five minutes until Quinn decided that being left out was no longer fun and went on to squeeze pass both of you. Both of you stopped whatever you were doing and stared at her. Sensing that all eyes were on her, she said:

"Oh, don't worry about me. You two can go do some catching up of your own. I'm just gonna go do some paperwork backstage; publicist stuff you know."

"Wait, I thought you were my P.A?" you frowned.

"Same thing," she shot back. "You made me carry all your stuff, remember?"

"Oooo, feisty," McKenzie whispered to you, elbowing your side.

You gave her a look and shrugged. Quinn had always been complicated and was always left out in conversations which she clearly wanted in.

You didn't bother to chase after her though because once she's out of the conversation, she would never want to be in it anymore. She's just Quinn. According to her, she had big plans. What exactly? You weren't entirely sure.

/

2 hours until show time.

The pressure was starting to build up and your palms were sweating. Kurt kept telling you that the show would go on smoothly but you had always been dubious.

You had been pacing up and down the backstage, trying to remember your steps and where you should be standing so you didn't screw up the show. But that only made you even more nervous.

The stadium was still closed and people would only start pouring in an hour before show time so you decided to get out of the stadium to get some fresh air to clear your mind a little. The moment you stepped out of the stadium, a loud roar thundered around you. Fans were screaming and chanting on your name. That did make you smile but a part of you was freaking out so badly.

You were not alone though. Three bodyguards were sent out to protect you from the crowd if something were to happen. After a few reassurances, they finally let you have some space and mingled with the crowd a little.

There was one fan in particular that caught your attention. A young woman in turquoise top, weird matching headscarf and brown waist pants who could easily compete with Katy Perry's fashion sense, had tried to get your attention in which she obviously succeed. What made her stand out from the crowd was the fact that she was waving a roll of twenty-dollar notes at you. You didn't accept it of course.

"Hi, what's with the roll of twenties?" you asked kindly, pointing at it.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just trying to get your attention," she shrugged. "I'm Sugar Motta. My dad donated a bunch of equipments for your show."

"Oh really?" you were starting to get intrigued by her father's hospitality and generosity. Seriously, who would even bother to donate a bunch of insanely expensive (might have been an exaggeration) equipments for any show? "Tell him we're extremely grateful for his donations."

"It's no big deal," she shrugged indifferently and turned away, totally ignoring who she was talking to.

You had the urge to grab her and give her a death stare but that would only make your other fans feel like you're just a bitch who didn't give a damn about her fans. So you resisted it instead.

You saw Brittany loitering around the other side of the queue, looking dejected. With the guards literally making a shield around you, you dragged them toward Brittany but asked them to keep a distance away from you while you went ahead to speak to the blonde.

"Hey, what's up?" you frowned.

"Um… I- I can't…" she trailed off, embarrassed about what she was going to say next.

"Hey, it's okay," you rubbed her arm to keep her calm. "What's the matter?"

"The guard won't let me in even after I told them I work for you," her tone was barely audible. "They say I couldn't get in if I don't have the pass. So I'm stuck here, not able to perform later."

Your blood was starting to boil at the said words. How could they have not known about the replacement dancer? This was just absurd. You spun around to see the guard that was guarding the entrance and walked furiously to him, holding on to Brittany's hand. Your bodyguards followed closely behind.

"Puckerman!" you shouted. "Explain this to me."

"Chill chica," the guard stepped back a little. "What did I do wrong?"

"What did _you _do wrong? How 'bout you tell me what _you_ did wrong?" you kept your tone harsh. "Why didn't you let her in?"

"She didn't have a pass, basic concert protocol," he said calmly.

"Concert protocol my ass," you screamed back. "She's my dancer; she gets to go wherever I go. Now move or I'll send my guards to force you to move."

Puck obeyed your order and stepped aside, allowing both of you to enter. You let her walk in first while you stayed behind to talk to him.

"Oh, and one last thing, Egghead," you continued, arms crossed over your chest. "If I ever see you or your boys stopping her or anyone I know from getting pass anything on this tour again, I won't hesitate to pull your Mohawk off; one hair at a time. We clear?"

The guy nodded his head nervously and his jaw was agape. That only made your grin wider and your satisfaction complete. To be frank, it was fun messing around with people who were supposed to keep you safe. Mostly to remind them who was in charge.

Your eyes were still on him upon entering the stadium and he held his head down low to avoid eye contact with you. It made you chuckled at how scared he looked.

"That was so badass," you heard the blonde say.

"It's nothing," you shrugged. "Sometimes I like to mess around with these people. They just don't know it yet."

A wide smile grew on her face as both of you walked toward the backstage area. The rest of the walk there was mostly silent; a part from the occasional small talks which only lasted a couple of sentences.

The first person the tall blonde went to was Mike. It was understandable because he was the choreographer but then you overheard them talking about their dance solo. Crap, you almost forgot that you were covering Valerie in honour of the late Amy Winehouse. It was a nice surprise knowing that _that_ chick could be able to pull off such a complex routine.

A light tap on your shoulder made you jumped a little. Then it came along with a brief chuckle from behind you. You turned around to find the small dark-haired dancer smiling goofily at you. The frown on your face quickly turned into a wide smile as you hugged the girl.

"Hey girl, looking good!" McKenzie exclaimed.

"Oh wait till you see me in my outfit!" you teased.

"So is that chick taking over me for tonight?" she looked at Brittany who was going through the routine with Mike. "God, she's good. Damn it Santana, if you ever think of replacing me, I'd be hurt."

"Replacing you? Not a chance," you laughed it off.

But as you turned around to look at Brittany, your breath was taken away again by her powerful moves. Jeez, that girl can dance!

"On second thought, maybe I would," you joked.

When you turned around to look at McKenzie again, you almost laughed at how horrified she looked. Her jaw hanging wide open and her eyes were so huge; as if she saw a man running around the backstage naked. It was then that you knew even the best dancer in your crew had no chance in topping the blonde. She was just that good.

You firmly placed one hand on her shoulder and told her it was a joke as you left her frozen in place staring at the tall blonde.

/

5 minutes until show time.

Majority of the crew was beyond excited while a minor few including you were extremely nervous. This was it. It had been your lifelong dream to put together a show.

Prior to all these, you had only been performing with your show choir back in high school along with Quinn. Quinn, however, decided that she didn't want to continue singing and wanted to pursue something completely different which was what had landed her a role as one of your press representatives. If it was not for your show choir, you would have not had the guts to sing in front of your family. Let alone in an arena full of strangers.

Kurt had gathered most of the performers and the behind-the-scene crew, and called in for a show circle. He then encouraged you to say a few words before heading out for the big opening number.

"Okay, this is it," you smiled. "I would like to congratulate all of you for your efforts and even though I've been a bitch sometimes, I still love you guys. This has been two years in the making and we're finally making this a reality. I wish you guys the best and let's bring the house down!"

With that, everyone put their hands together in the middle and threw them up as you cheered.

The opening number was a tribute to the late Amy Winehouse. It was one of your favourites because it really showed off your raspy voice. The dancers, namely Brittany and Mike, did an awesome job at keeping up with the beat. And all the stunts still blew your mind away. It was such a fun number.

By the third song, you had forgotten about your nerves and were starting to enjoy yourself. Who knew singing in front of an insanely huge crowd was this much fun?

Soon, it all came to an end. You had just wrapped up the last song of the night and your body almost gave up due to exhaustion. It was almost neck to neck with running for a full hour.

"I hope you had a good night and I'll see you soon! Happy New Year, LA!" with that, you waved to your fans and went off the stage.

Kurt, Quinn and McKenzie had been watching you from the side and the moment you reached them, they pulled you into a group hug. Despite the sweat and uncomfortable heat, you still leaned into the hug. It was such a great experience and to be surrounded by awesome friends made it even better.

"That was awesome!" McKenzie screamed.

"This is so going on tomorrow's news!" Kurt joined.

Quinn just smiled at you with adoration and said in her usual calm voice, "You did great, Santana. I'm so proud of you."

That was the first time she said that to you and it almost made you cry because of how genuine she was. But something was a little off. Quinn looked as if she was a little sad. You wanted to ask her but you didn't want to ruin this happy moment so you just went on to thank the three as well as congratulate them on their part.

Brittany and Mike were busy high-fiving and shouting to each other at how well the first night went. You watched them from the side and couldn't help but smile at how proud they were with their performances.

It had been such a successful night.

You separated yourself from your small circle and walked over to Brittany and Mike, reaching your hand out to shake hers. Brittany frowned at the gesture and pushed it away. Instead, she pulled you and Mike into a big hug and applauded both of you on your performances.

All of it died down when Brittany remembered that she wouldn't be able to re-enact the entire thing again. Since McKenzie was given the green light to perform again on the next show, that only meant that Brittany had to go.

It made you sad to let such a great talent go to waste but there were no more spots to be filled unless someone else ended up in the hospital again. Of course that would be unfortunate and sort of a weird coincident; having two incidents happened within a short period. It might even chase away some hopeful dancers who wanted to make it big time.

"You did great, Brittany," you said solemnly.

"I tried," she shrugged. "I guess this is it then."

"Yeah, sadly so," you smiled sadly at Brittany but broke your eye contact with her.

"You did great too," she added. "I'm glad I got to be a part of this and it's an honour to meet you."

Brittany patted lightly on your side. Mike was standing on the side watching at you two exchange what could be your last goodbyes. You were pretty devastated that she had to go. Brittany was not like anyone you've met and she somehow managed to get you to loosen up a little. That itself was amazing.

McKenzie had seen how sad you were and walked up to see what was happening.

"Hey, is everything alright?" she landed her hand on your forearm.

You nodded and faked a smile before turning back to Brittany and went in for another hug.

Sighing for what probably seemed like the billionth time, you said, "So I'll see you around."


	3. Chapter 3 - The Rumour

A/N: This chapter is a dialogue-heavy one. I'm sorry. I hope you like it! And for those who still watch Glee, I know it's the Cory Monteith tribute episode and I hope this chapter could brighten your day a little. RIP Cory. Leave a review if you want. Thank you for reading. :)

CHAPTER 3 – The Rumour

**McKenzie: **Girl, where u at? - K

**Santana:** Almost there xx

You were too busy texting to even notice the incoming cyclist. Fortunately for you, you managed to dodge each other at the last minute but the cyclist was unfortunate enough to almost crashed into the trash can.

"Watch where you're going!" he shouted, only to realize who you were after blurting out those words. "Santana Lopez? Shit, I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you."

"You're fucking lucky I'm in such a good mood," you frowned. "Or you'd be dead by now."

"Please forgive me," he tried apologizing. "T-take care, Ms Lopez."

"Ugh, get out of my face before I change my mind," you rolled your eyes and looked at your phone.

As you walked down Third Street Promenade, you heard a familiar voice. You looked up and saw a strangely familiar figure off in the distance, holding what you assumed was a camera. There were a few people around her who you suspect were her friends.

The woman turned around with her eye firmly pressed onto the eye piece facing you. You froze in place when you noticed that she was aiming the camera toward you. She lowered down the camera after taking a few shots and smiled widely at you. You sent her a little wave before walking slowly toward the subject.

"Fancy meeting you here, Ms Lopez," the blonde greeted excitedly but she was still very much composed.

"You too," you replied. "I was just off to meet my friend... the dancer you replaced temporarily. What are you doing here? Well, besides taking pictures of course."

"McKenzie..." she looked up as if trying to remember how she looked like."How is she? And I was just out with my friends. Sort of a hobby; photography I mean."

"She's great. I see, so I'll see you around soon?"

"That'll be great," she smiled. "Hey, can I at least get your phone number? So we won't lose contact."

It took you a while to consider handing her your phone number but since you didn't mind seeing her or talking to her again, you figured why not. If she was anyone else, there was no chance in hell they'd be getting it. You blamed it on paranoia but also the fact that you were now a huge star - emphasized on the word "huge". Okay, you were probably dreaming... breakout star?

After handing her your phone, she pressed a few keys and called the inserted number. You assumed that that was her phone number since she immediately hung up after a few rings. She handed your phone back to you smiling.

"Soooo, I'll see you sometime soon?" the blonde smiled before bouncing back to her friends.

You watched as she mingled with her friends and couldn't stop smiling stupidly at yourself. Gosh, this girl could pull off adorable at such random times. You diverted your attention back to your phone and stared at the number on your call log.

Then a call came through. Guess McKenzie couldn't wait any longer.

"Sorry Kenz," you apologized. "I bumped into Brittany just now. I'll be there ASAP."

"Just so you know, I saw it all," she informed. "Turn around."

With that, you did a quick turn and saw your friend sitting at the dining alfresco. McKenzie waved at you with the kind of energy you rarely get to see. She's usually very composed but for some reason, she was all sorts of hyper.

You hung up and walked briskly toward her, remembering not to put on a smile too wide. You'd already grabbed the public's attention from the earlier incident. You didn't want to be caught smiling widely after being extremely pissed off by the cyclist. It was just un-Santana Lopez-like.

Once you had reached her table, McKenzie stood up and attacked you with a bear hug.

"Whoa whoa, calm down, woman," you laughed at her enthusiasm. "What's with the energy?"

"Dude, I freaking missed you!" she exclaimed.

"Uh, we just saw each other yesterday."

"Exactly my point!"

No matter how weird this girl was, she still holds in a special place in your heart. She wasn't like anyone you've met, and no matter how ridiculous she might be sometimes, she still managed to keep you within your calm-zone.

Normally, being this over-the-top would only encourage you to beat the crap out of them or make them super uncomfortable with your death glare. But with McKenzie, it was different.

"So are you going to tell me all about Ms Hot Photographer over there?" she smirked.

"We're just friends," you refrained from having eye contact with her. "Besides, you already know her."

"Oh really?" she leaned back on her chair, still smirking. "It doesn't seem like it. She was practically bouncing back to her friends after handing your phone back to you. And what was that?"

"What was what?" you were clearly confused. "And no, we are just friends. She's probably happy that she gets to return to her friends."

"C'mon, the phone!" McKenzie pointed, you could see the evil glint in her eyes.

"She just gave me her phone number. No big deal."

"No big deal?! Come on, Santana!" McKenzie leaned closer to you. "She definitely has an attraction to you."

"Pfft, yeah right," you grabbed her drink and drank.

The rest of the lunch was rather boring. McKenzie kept blabbering about her boring encounter with some necromorph in some game which you couldn't care about. Dead Space or something. You almost fell asleep during the conversation and if it wasn't for McKenzie throwing bits of her salad at you, you probably would have snored then.

/

The day finally came to an end and you had just gotten home from multiple meetings and interviews. There were pros and cons on making it big and those were the cons.

You hated sitting in and trying to stay awake in a room full of people asking you questions and the "best" part was that you didn't even get to answer most of them. It was all Quinn. It was like she was your voice. Sometimes, it gets relatively annoying that you just wanted to tape up that mouth of hers and maybe scream at her if she ever plans on speaking for you again. Of course you didn't do it for the sake of your reputation.

You entered your apartment and hung up your coat on the coat rack. "Alone at long last," you sighed a sigh of relief. As you kicked off your shoes to the side, you finally felt a whole lot better knowing that Quinn wouldn't be home for another hour or so. Something about getting your next concert schedule and set lists from various locations makes you go crazy.

It had only been a week after your first show and you were already feeling depleted. You weren't totally sure how you could survive the next month. Who knew running around stage and singing at the same time required so much energy?

You were loafing on the couch and flipping through the channels on the television to find something interesting to watch or distract you when your phone buzzed. You dug it out from your abandon purse by your feet and the sudden glare of the screen blinded you momentarily.

After your vision had been restored, a strangely familiar number flashed across the screen. You couldn't quite put a name on it and by the look of the message that came with it, you frowned a little.

**Unsaved number:** Hi. How are you?

You contemplated on replying it but didn't want to risk your number being spread around like wild fire. You didn't even know who this person was. Then, another text came in.

**Unsaved number:** It's Brittany btw.

You audibly let out a sigh of relief. If you were to send him or her back a text without knowing who was on the other side, it would have been a huge problem. Who knows, you could be in multiple black bags by tomorrow.

**Santana:** Thank god. I thought you were some perv. I'm fine, you?

It only took her a few seconds to get back to you.

**Unsaved number:** You didn't save my number? I'm deeply hurt. D; I'm fine. Whatchu doing?

**Santana:** It's not my fault that I forgot. I was busy the entire day. Watching some weird documentary about ants. Hey, can I call you instead?

You pressed send and waited a few moments before calling the blonde. A few rings in, she picked up.

"Hey blondie," you joked. "About the documentary, I'm no nerd; I was just randomly searching for something to distract me."

"_Lemme guess_," she paused. "_I succeeded in distracting you?_"

"Are you like spying on me or something?" you smirked.

"_Ha! You wish!_" Brittany huffed. "_So I heard you're driving down to San Francisco in a couple of days_."

"Up, you mean?" you smiled. "Yeah, part of me doesn't want to go but the fans have already paid for their tickets."

"_Hey, don't correct me_," she said in a semi-serious tone. "_I was awful in US Geography back in high school_."

"So what are you gonna do after this?" you asked.

"_Um... Edit my photos, I guess?_"

"Not now, silly," you laughed. "I meant for a living."

There was a brief period of silence and you were a little worried that you might have pried a little too deep into her life. Maybe asking someone what they were going to do next after they've just gotten off a job wasn't such a good idea.

You heard a sigh on the other side of the line, making you even more nervous.

"_I'm not so sure_," you could hear the uncertainty in her tone. "_I can still be able to pay for my half of the bills I guess_."

You didn't know how to continue the conversation so you just hummed. The rest of the conversation was just as boring as asking about the weather. There was some awkward silence but not that happy kind of awkward silence. It was leaning more toward the sadder side.

Now you felt like you were the one to blame. You were the one who asked about her future plans.

"_I'll talk to you soon, I guess,_" Brittany said.

"Yeah," you replied lowly. "Goodnight, Brittany."

You hung up and stare at it for a few seconds before changing the caller's id to Brittany's name.

The rest of the night consisted of you flipping through the channels and Quinn forcing you to go to bed.

Speaking of bed, you weren't even sure why you had to hire a band bus for the LA show when you only lived twenty minutes down the road. Perks of being a celebrity maybe?

Quinn finally gave up on attempting to drag you into bed. She gave out a loud groan and went into her bedroom, not forgetting to slam the door shut just to let you know that you had pissed her off.

"Maybe you should try getting a company..." you mocked at Quinn. "maybe a dog... or a boyfriend."

"Shut the hell up!" she shouted from her room. "Just so you know, you have, like, a gazillion meetings and interviews tomorrow."

You grunted at the newly found information and finally decided to call it a night. Your arms were like lead and reaching out for the remote was far more torturous than you had ever thought. But all the pain was only a figment of your imagination.

After successfully switching off the television, the first thing that came to mind was checking your phone. Part of you hoped that Brittany had sent you a text but you died a little when she didn't.

Feeling unquestionably lazy to head to your room, you decided to sleep on this lumpy sofa. You would just have to suffer the consequences the next morning because right now, even if there were snakes on the floor, you wouldn't give a damn about it and just have a siesta.

The sun hadn't even risen yet but you were already rolling out of your sleep. Now you would have to suffer that said consequences. Your back was already killing you. You let out a loud groan, purposely forcing Quinn out of bed so she could hopefully carry you to bed. She was your "personal assistant" after all.

"Santana!" she shouted from her room. "Shut the hell up!"

"Carry me to bed, please," you begged. "You're my P.A."

"For the love of God, I am not your P.A.," she walked out of her room and toward you, eyes only half-opened. "I'm your P.R."

You tried giving her the most pitiful puppy eyes you could pull off but Quinn was all too familiar with your tricks. Instead of a lift to your room, you received a cushion to your face.

"What the fuck?" you shouted. "A 'no' would have been totally acceptable. Jesus."

"Yeah, stop whining," she replied. "You have legs. Why not walk there yourself? I'm heading back to bed. Don't wake me up again!"

You let out another groan and pulled yourself out of the makeshift bed. You waddled yourself to your room, making a mental note to create as much noise as you could as you passed Quinn's room.

"For God's sake, Santana!" you chuckled at her annoyed tone.

"Love you too, Q," you smiled. "And don't let the bed bugs bite."

"Bed bugs my ass, you're the biggest bug that had bitten me," you heard her muttering to herself.

The moment you reached the foot of your bed, you collapsed on top of it and immediately dozed off. How lady-like of you. Your mum would have nagged at you by now.

/

You were having the most realistic dream ever. How could raindrops in dreams be so realistic that you could even feel them in real life? But when those raindrops turned into a heavy downpour, you knew it wasn't a dream. Someone was playing around with you. Your bets were on Quinn.

"Ugh! Stop fucking with me, Quinn!" you slurred, eyes still tightly closed.

When the action didn't stop and Quinn didn't answer, you forced your eyes open and prepared to beat the shit out of her only to find that that someone else had been doing the guilty acts on you wasn't Quinn at all.

"K-Kenzie, what are you doing here?" you shook all anger and sleepiness out of you and sat up straight.

Kurt and Quinn were at the threshold, giggling among themselves. Never had you felt so embarrassed and angry at those two before. Your eyes snapped back to McKenzie who was stifling her laugh.

"Morning sleeping beauty," she greeted you.

"Or beast, if you were being brutally honest," Kurt added.

"Shut your potato hole, Porcelain," you countered. "And morning to you too."

McKenzie put down the bowl she had been holding on the bedside table and propped her hands on her hips. She urged you to get up so that Kurt could do his magic on your face and Quinn has you sign some paperwork. You really didn't want to get out of bed mainly because the sofa you had been sleeping on earlier was depriving you of sleep and your body was aching badly from both the sofa-sleeping and your activities the previous day.

Being a star sucked sometimes.

After finally giving in to McKenzie's urges, you got off your bed and let Kurt and Quinn pull you in the bathroom while you were still enjoying the last few minutes of trying to get some extra sleep. You were still half awake when Quinn sat you down on the covered toilet.

"What the hell?!" you screamed when Kurt splashed your face with cold water.

"Oh, don't worry Satan," he fake-smiled. "It's not holy water."

"That's fucking cold, Ladylips," you patted the paper towel Quinn had handed over on the wet blotches on your skin.

"I'm so sorry, your majesty," he apologized sarcastically. "Now let me work some magic on that face of yours."

It might look like you hated Kurt but that was just how your friendship worked. A friendly love as you might call it. He could be a sweetheart if he wanted to but it wasn't exactly the case that particular morning and Quinn seemed to be siding him too.

"Can you at least let me shower first?" you frowned, swatting Kurt's hand away from your face. "As much as I don't care if I head out looking like I've just been hit by a bus, a girl prefers to smell nice."

"A girl? You're like a monster," Kurt mumbled to himself.

"Or the mother of all monsters," Quinn added silently.

"And I guess I'm a kind one since all of you are still sticking around after all these years," you countered. "Get the hell out afores I drenched y'all with water."

After having a "quick" shower to which Kurt had been violently knocking on the door for the fiftieth time, you unlocked the door and sat on the covered toilet bowl in just a fluffy robe. Kurt and Quinn walked up to you without any hesitations and continued where they left off before you forcefully pushed them out of the bathroom.

Something told you that McKenzie was onboard the bandwagon but you weren't so sure. She seemed to be playing both sides.

She was leaning against the threshold watching you get tortured by Kurt and Quinn. That smirk on her face wasn't helping at all. She could at least go find something better to do rather than watch you get tortured by two of your best friends.

After what felt like forever, Kurt had finally finished working on his canvas and Quinn had finally gotten you to sign the paperwork which you have no clue to what they were about. She still didn't want to tell you; not even a word. And you couldn't be bothered to read what was on the papers.

Hell, it could even be your will that could say that she gets at least 75% of your stuff. Or worst, it could be a contract that states that all of your profits will be handed over to her.

Now you were starting to get anxious. Quinn and her big plans...

"Chop chop," McKenzie shouted, distracting you from your paranoid thoughts. "We better get going if we want to get to the first interview of this morning!"

"Ugh!" you whined. You really hated sitting down for interviews, especially when you didn't even get to answer most of the questions. You had the publicist to blame.

/

"Quinn, you better not be answering most of the questions this time," you warned the blonde beside you while all four of you walked down to the interview in the hotel not far from your apartment complex.

"We'll have to see what they'll ask first," she smirked slyly.

She was definitely up to something. You just gave her the glare and snort, shifting your attention to Kurt who was busy texting on his phone. Feeling a little curious, you leaned in closer to him to peek at the screen.

"Whoa, mind your own business, woman," he snarled.

"Whatever, I don't even care who you're texting to anyway," you crossed your arms as you walked into the room.

A tall blonde woman stood up with her arms spread wide. She brought all of you into a hug as if she had known you for years. The way she acts could force a rainbow out in a stormy day. The look on Kurt face was priceless. He was overwhelmed with all the happiness she brought into the room.

"How rude of me?" she placed her hand over her mouth. "I'm Holly Holliday from Alt Press."

She reached out for your hand with a creepily huge smile on her face. You gave in to the handshake and sat down on the sofa right next to you with Quinn by your side. Kurt and McKenzie were by the cameras watching the interview. To be honest, you don't even know why Quinn had to be by your side and not by Kurt and McKenzie.

Half of the interview wasn't that bad. Quinn kept her promise on not answering most of the questions but she did add some comments after your answers. However, the next question took you by surprise.

"There seems to be a rumour going around about the scene that took place just outside the Staples Centre before your first show," Holly stated. "Who was the girl you let through when the guard clearly didn't want her in?"

Quinn was intrigued by that very question and was now staring at you for answers. She didn't know what Holly was talking about, which was pretty questionable considering she was your publicist and was supposed to take care of these kinds of stuff.

"Uh... She was just my dancer who didn't have a pass on her and that guard didn't believe her," you said. "And I so-happened to be around that area so I let her pass. That's about it."

"So there's nothing happening between you two? No secret relationships or anything?" she pushed on. "Because you seemed to hesitate a little just now."

"Negative," you shot back but there was a hint of uncertainty in your voice. "She's just my dancer."

Quinn was growing suspicious of you and you did not like it one bit. You did tell her the truth. You also made a mental note to question her on why she didn't do her job of not letting the rumour continue. It was probably one of the stupidest assumptions the public has ever made.

The interview finally came to an end and Holly gave all of you another group hug and let you off. From the looks of Quinn's face, you were definite that she has a lot to grill you on. McKenzie and Kurt were cool about that silly rumour though.

The moment all you of exited the room and was about earshot away from the media in the room, Quinn pulled you to one side and glare at you. She took a few seconds to make sure you feel a little intimidated – which you did – before speaking her thoughts.

"What was that about?" you knew what she was talking about but decided to play dumb.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh stop the act, Lopez," she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "What was that rumour about?!"

You were a little shaken by her sudden burst of anger and settled on explaining to her.

"I swear on my mother's life that there's nothing between us!" you shouted quietly. "Puck held Brittany out for two hours from what I recalled. She really didn't have any pass or identification on her and I happened to be there when I saw her, looking upset."

Quinn kept quiet and let you continue. Her arms were still tightly crossed and her frown deepened.

"I let her in and warned Puck," you repeated. "I swear on my mother's life that there is nothing between us! Trust me, Quinn. You're my best friend."

Quinn didn't say anything else. She just stood there with her arms still crossed and the frown still on her face. You knew that she was still skeptical about everything but you just ignored her because you did tell her the truth. You even took the risk to swear it upon your mother's life.

But there was something that kind of bothered you a little. You were not even sure if there was anything between you and Brittany. You were brought back to the previous day when you coincidentally met Brittany at the Third Street Boulevard with her friends. She asked for you number just because she didn't want to lose contact with you. No, she dialled her number with your phone.

You took out your phone and contemplated on texting Brittany... just to catch up, even though you've only seen her yesterday. Kurt had seen you staring at it and approached you, with a bagel in between his lips.

"Don't stare at it for too long," he interrupted. "You might explode it."

You jumped out of your skin and almost dropped whatever stuff you were holding on to onto the floor. Kurt just chuckled at your priceless reaction and almost chocked on his chewed up bagel.

"A tap would have been nice," you snarled. "And thanks for bursting my right eardrum."

"Hey, calm down Satan," he stepped back. "And sorry. I was just wondering if you wanted breakfast now or head back to your apartment."

"Breakfast? It's like almost noon," you knitted your brows in confusion. "And going home is a complete waste of time, so I'm going with the food."

/

The moment you reached the hotel dining hall, you were bombarded by a large group of fans. They might have heard that you were coming here. For some, it was a total surprise. They happened to be staying in that hotel for a vacation or for something else.

Where were your bodyguards when you needed them?

Kurt tried to stifle his laugh upon seeing you get mobbed by your own fans and struggling to get some order. It was sheer madness. You were both flattered and overwhelmed by the amount of people who came just to see you.

Almost twenty minutes had past and your hand felt like it was going to pop out of its socket if you continue to sign anymore headshots or magazines with you printed on it. Kurt finally lent you a hand in controlling the crowd. It was much more manageable now considering most of them had gotten what they wanted and all they were doing now was taking photos and videos of you or just standing there admiring your beauty.

"Look at you, being all famous and stuff," Kurt elbowed you. "If only I got some of it..."

"Yeah, one day..." you whispered. "Maybe in your wildest dreams."

Upon hearing that, Kurt landed a light punch on your shoulder. "Shut up."

After what seemed like a torturous hour, you were finally freed from the mob and went toward the buffet table which was specially catered just for you and whoever works for you. You almost screamed when you saw what you think were breadsticks. Just like at the first show, you grabbed a fistful of breadsticks and greedily stuffed the broken pieces in your mouth.

"Manners, Santana," Kurt whispered, looking at your fans who were now staring at you with their mouths opened. "Your fans are frightened."

"Can't!" you mumbled. "You know breadsticks is my trigger food."

If it wasn't for McKenzie who magically – well, she was just around the corner – appeared beside you, you might have destroyed the entire table. Only then that you realized how animalistic you were acting. You helped yourself off the table and smoothed the creases on your dress before towering whatever you wanted to eat on to a plate and walked toward the table Quinn was already at.

"That was one hell of a show, Santana," Quinn smirked slyly, playing with her salad.

You rolled your eyes and sat on the seat beside her. Trying as hard as you could, you slowly nibbled on the breadstick you had gotten and acted normal. It didn't help when your fans were still in shock of what had just happened. Feeling a little uncomfortable with the number of eyes that were on you, you stopped whatever you were doing and stared at them.

"Guys, I know you love me and all but can I at least get some privacy, please?" you asked, trying not to sound irritated or anything.

The crowd slowly dispersed and you resumed your nibbling. McKenzie was a little taken aback by what happened over at the buffet table and was still trying to register it in her brain.

"A little too much?" you startled McKenzie. "Sorry Kenz."

She just shook her head slowly from side to side and looked at you like you were some sort of weird alien creature. You found it both cute and awkward.

"Done staring?" you asked. "Because I can literally feel the burn on the side of my head."

"Sorry, I- I was just..." she trailed off.

The rest of the lunch consisted of McKenzie staring at you, Kurt laughing wildly at Quinn's sarcastic jokes, and your fans staring and taking photos of you. It was definitely one of the most interesting lunches you have ever had.

/

You were loafing in your couch when you phone rang. You took your time to answer it because you were still very much into the documentary that was on the television. How knew ants built their nest with their saliva?

"Hello?" you answered by the fifth ring, eyes still glued onto the TV screen.

"_Hey, it's me,_" the caller replied.

You weren't sure who it was so you just hummed at their sentence while still very much hypnotized by the documentary.

"_It's me, Brittany,"_ the caller repeated.

She might have sensed that you weren't listening. You finally pulled your focus away from the documentary when you heard who it was. You switched off the TV and cleared your throat before answering.

"H-hi Brittany."

"_Was I disturbing you? I'm so sorry,_"

"No, no, you weren't," you told her. "I was just watching TV."

"_Lemme guess, was it something about ants again?" _she laughed.

You stayed silent for a few seconds before replying back. "Are you like stalking me or something?" you joked as you looked around the room to make sure she was nowhere near you.

"_Actually, I am. I'm hiding in the bush just outside your house."_

Like a greased lightning, you turned around to look out your window and then stared at the front door. Only then you realized that there was no way she could see you from outside your window since you lived on the third floor.

"_I'm kidding," _she somehow sensed that you didn't get the joke. "_And funny how this is the second time in a row that I called while you're watching shows about ants. Maybe ants are our thing."_

"It's technically the first time you've called me," you corrected, smirking flirtatiously even though you knew she couldn't see you. "Maybe it is but come to think about it, isn't it pretty weird and creepy? The ants I mean."

"_Why would you say that?"_ she sounded offended. "_Ants aren't weird or creepy, they're just... unique_."

"No, no, Britt," you chuckled. "I meant the ants-is-our-thing thing, not the ants, even though they do give me the creeps. You're adorable!"

There was a brief moment of silence then. You were unsure what you did wrong. Then you heard a long sigh coming from the receiver.

Oh dear, you hoped you didn't do anything wrong.

"Are you okay?" you finally croaked out when you could no longer handle the anxiousness.

"_Yeah, um... You called me Britt_," she stated softly and emotionlessly.

You found no wrong in calling her that but you figured that calling her by her nickname actually meant a lot to her. You felt your heart gradually beating faster. Before you could form your words, she added something else but in a more serious tone.

"_I called because..."_ she let her words trailed off for a few seconds before continuing. "_I heard about the rumour_."

You knew what rumour she was talking about and you started to get really anxious. Letting out the only word you could form 'yeah', you waited for her to elaborate.

"_I'm sorry for making it looked like there was something more_," she said sadly. Your heart ached a little at the second half of the sentence. "_If I hadn't gone out for air, I wouldn't have led such rumour to happen_."

"Brittany, it wasn't your fault," you reassured her. "It wasn't anyone's fault. It was just some stupid assumption by an asshole. Us together? We had only met for barely forty-eight hours when that incident took place."

You realized what you just said but it was far too late to take it back. It made you sound like you didn't like her when you don't even know if you like her or not. Brittany, on the other hand, kept awkwardly silent and you knew that those words you'd just said affected her more than it did to you.

This was when you started to panicked.

"Brittany, I didn't mean it that way," you shot out.

"_I understand_," her voice low and disappointed. "_Um, Sam just asked me if I wanted to go catch a movie with him and I said yes, so I'll text you when I'm free?"_

It was more of a question than a statement. You nodded and hummed in agreement even though you knew she couldn't see your nod.

With that, she hung up and you let the tone drag for a moment before pulling your phone away from your ear and locking it.

**Way to go, Lopez.**

/

A couple of hours and Quinn-trying-to-force-you-to-pack later, you rolled out of bed and groaned loudly about how you didn't want to start packing. It will only get messy once you returned home so why even bother packing?

"Santana, you'll get fifty percent more space if you packed it properly," she said, leaning against your doorframe.

"Ugh, fine mom," you rolled your eyes at her and forced yourself up to your closet.

"And don't roll your eyes at your 'mother'," she mocked anger. "Chop chop, we've only got an hour and a half before the bus comes. San Francisco, baby!"

Quinn was awfully excited about the tour – hash tag: only excited to visit San Francisco. How could someone be so excited about something that will only drain your energy away? Wanky. Oh right, everyone does.

"Am I the only one who's not at all excited at all?" you mumbled to yourself.

"Yes, Little Miss Grumpy," answered Quinn. Of course she heard it. She has always been creeping up on you; that's just what Quinn do.

"Geez thanks Captain Obvious," you snarled.

You threw tank tops, dresses and a few other apparels and accessories that you think you might wear into your oversized luggage, not bothering to heed Quinn's advice. With every throw, you threw along a grumble. That's just how much you dreaded packing. If only there was someone to help you with it.

You stopped whatever you were doing and slowly turned your head to Quinn who was still leaning against the threshold. An evil smirk played on your lips and an eyebrow arched upward. Quinn shuffled on her feet when she sensed something fishy coming from you.

"What?" she asked warily.

You didn't answer her but instead, you stood up slowly and walked toward her in the most threatening way – along with that evil smirk. Quinn stood straighter and took a couple of steps backward.

"Oh no, those are your stuff," she held her hands up. "You're the one to pack. I'll be checking in with the driver now."

You almost laughed at how freaked out she was when you tried to pressurize her into packing for you. Speaking of which, you were also disappointed that your plan fired back and you'd have to pack it yourself.

Halfway through packing and with only thirty-five minutes left, you gave up on choosing between the blue and black long-sleeved dress that ends mid-thigh and the tight grey dress that showed more cleavage than the blue one. You threw both dresses into your luggage and stuffed your accessories and makeup into the smaller compartment.

You had even prepared a smaller luggage for your electronics because you're always online or writing down stuff because writing on a piece of paper was too messy since you were a lefty. The last thing you hoped for was an ink-smudged hand.

Your eyes dropped to your phone which was by your lap every now and then, hoping that Brittany would text or call soon just like she promised. You still hated yourself for what you told Brittany because from the looks of it – or rather, the sound of it – Brittany was disappointed with you.

Once you had set aside the things that you thought you would need for the tour, you dragged both luggage out of you room and next to the entrance of your apartment. You had even changed into a more comfortable pair of sweatpants and your NYADA hoodie.

Quinn was mildly amused by your choice of attire. With her signature arched eyebrow and slightly parted mouth, she began asking you in the most disbelieving tone on what you were wearing.

"I just want to be comfortable," you narrowed your eyes but felt a little self-conscious. "Besides, it's like eleven at night and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to be in some tight dress or something."

Quinn just played an amused smirk across her lips before turning around to drag her luggage to the door. She, on the other hand, was wearing a white sundress paired with a bright yellow cardigan which could blind you from miles away.

"And thank god it isn't sunny tonight because if it was, you could have blinded me by now with that bright ass outfit of yours," you insulted her to which she didn't take any offense to.

"It's eleven at night," she stated.

"Exactly my point."

A knock – or rather, a few knocks – on the door interrupted your friendly conversation as Quinn opened the door to welcome Kurt and McKenzie who was standing outside with huge smiles on their faces. Well, McKenzie's eyes were already drooping and her smile was not nearly as wide as Kurt.

Kurt launched himself onto both of you as he greeted you in the most flamboyant way possible, causing McKenzie to jump out of her short nap while standing up. He did receive a firm punch from her before giving you and Quinn a hug each.

It took you about three minutes to get from your apartment to the bus which was illegally parked along the sideway but since there were practically no one (read: traffic police) around for another few hours, you guessed the driver didn't even bother worrying about getting a ticket.

The moment you hit the road, the first thing you checked was your phone. Brittany still hadn't left you any texts or calls ever since that minor slipup. You were only human. McKenzie had already fallen asleep and Kurt was busy yapping away to Quinn about his newly found love for all things broadways which Quinn had no interest in whatsoever.

You had thought of sending a text first multiple times but you were too afraid that she might still be disappointed in you so you just left it untouched. The journey to San Francisco was quite a reflection-heavy one. So much so that you thought about writing a diary about it but later dismissed the idea.

Just as you were about to fall asleep, a text came through and you instantly stared at the screen to find Brittany's name staring back at you and the message that came along with it.

**Brittany:** Have a safe journey.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Photoset

A/N: School have just started for me so I might take a little longer in terms of updating the chapters but as of now, I am still able to update weekly since I've already prepared a few chapters ahead. This chapter is a little lighter on the angsty part. I hope this makes up for the previous chapter! :)

Chapter 4 – The Photoset

**Brittany:** Have a safe journey.

That was all she wrote. Nothing more; no smiley, no nothing. Part of you wanted to hug her, to comfort her but something told you that _that_ wouldn't be such a good idea. You tried writing her back but to no avail. You did want to thank her but after that minor slipup, you decided it was best not to, even though you would have to at some point. The last thing you want was for her to hate you.

In the end, you left that text unanswered. You just hoped she understood.

The rest of the night consisted of you rereading that text over and over again. _Have a safe journey._ It didn't sound anything like the Brittany you met before the concert. That Brittany would have said "Have fun on your tour!" or "All the best for the rest of the tour!", not "Have a safe journey.".

There was always a hint of happiness in all of her texts she sent you but not this one. It was as if she didn't even want to speak to you.

_You_ might think why the hell are you acting all weird over a text sent by someone you barely know?

Well, there was something about Brittany that you just couldn't stay away from. It might make you sound like an obsessed creep… or an overly attached girlfriend (other than the fact that you are not her girlfriend).

Scanning the entire bus, you realized that everyone else had fallen asleep – with the exception of the driver of course. You propped yourself on one elbow and studied the bright screen of your unlocked iPhone, still contemplating on whether to text her back. You stared at her last message. _Have a safe journey._

Maybe a smile or a _thank you_ would be nice. But every time you came up with something to write, you hesitated and pressed the home button instead.

The journey up north was quite a quiet one, with the exception of Kurt's and Mike's (not so) private karaoke session in the lounge area. McKenzie had been glued to her MacBook ever since she woke up and Quinn had been on the phone with various event managers and press; the usual P.A. stuff.

You were a little sad that Brittany hadn't texted you yet even though you knew it was mainly your fault because you didn't reply her back.

Tossing your phone aside, you walked all the way to the front of the stationary bus to have a quick chat with the driver, only to find him already dozing off. You couldn't blame him, though. He had been driving for quite some time in the wee hours of the night. That guy really deserved some sleep.

You smiled at how sloppily he was slouching on the driver's seat sleeping but couldn't bear to wake him up to ask him if he wanted to share a bunk with Mike or someone because he looked too peaceful in his seat.

Leaning over the metal bar separating the front section of the bus and the bunks, you stared out the window. There were some fans that had been waiting outside the bus, waving their DIY posters of you and a notebook for you to sign on after seeing you eyeing them from inside. You didn't step out any time soon though. You just stared at them waving frantically at you and begging you to come outside.

You felt a hot air blown on the back of your neck. With one quick turn, you came face to face with McKenzie. There was barely five centimetres separating the two of you and if others had seen it, they would have immediately assumed something inappropriate was going to happen.

"Whoa there lady, that's too close for comfort," McKenzie leaned her body back a little.

"Maybe you should have thought of leaving a little more space before you decided to blow on me," you smirked because wanky.

She cringed at your words. You knew you had just crossed a little over the line but hey, that priceless expression on her face was worth it. You patted her shoulder and walked toward the bus door.

The closer you got to the door, the closer your fans inched toward the bus. Just listening to how loud the noise was outside, you would have probably guessed that there were about a hundred people outside. But much to your disappointment (or relief), there were only two dozen people there. Quinn had come running to the door to see what the commotion was about.

"Calm down, Q," you stared out the translucent door. "They're just doing what fangirls… and guys do. They're not burning or toppling over this bus."

"Ha ha, I would rather have this bus burnt down than screaming fans bursting my eardrums with their constant high-pitched screaming," Quinn nudged you.

"Well, this is what you'll be listening to for as long as they love me," you replied, eyes still glued to the faces outside the bus. "I suggest you get use to it."

The noise had caused the driver to jump out of his seat and bumped his knees against the stirring wheel. Both Quinn and you quickly diverted your attentions to the driver who was pathetically soothing away the pain.

You mouthed out sorry to him on behalf of your overly enthusiastic fans who were still screaming at the top of their lungs. If it was possible to get a noise complaint outside the arena, you would have gotten one by now.

Not wanting to keep your fans waiting any longer, you ordered the driver to open the door and stepped into the screaming crowd outside. If it weren't for your bodyguard, Karofsky, you would have already been squashed like an orange. People were pushing and squeezing in between each other just to get close to you until Karofsky yelled to calm the crowd down.

"Sorry, I had to," Karofsky whispered into your ear and shrugged.

You just nodded at his words before facing the first person in front of you and signed his bowtie. What an odd object to get an autograph on, you thought. As you looked up to see his face, the first thing that caught your eye was his excessively gelled hair and then his ridiculous triangle eyebrows.

You tried so hard not to insult his hair or his too-gay-to-be-hipster fashion but you had to somehow show what you think of him, resulting in a distasteful look on your face. Sensing that you were judging him, the guy looked down in shame and thanked you embarrassingly before walking away, giving you another kind look and a smile over his shoulder.

After all of them had been given a piece of the Lopez, you looked over your shoulder and spotted Kurt peering at you from inside the bus. He had been looking really troubled lately. Well, it could be his dad. Not long after you released your first successful album, his dad was diagnosed with a stage one pancreatic cancer. That was your initial thought but something told you that it was more than that.

You turned your body fully toward him and tilted your head to the side, hoping that he would eventually tell you what had been bothering him lately. He seemed distant nowadays and it was starting to worry you. Kurt finally snapped out of his daydream and disappeared from view.

"Yo Lopez, everything alright?" Karofsky asked from behind you, looking over his shoulder toward the direction you were facing.

You just shook your head and told him that everything was great as you tore your gaze away from the window and fake him a smile.

Soon the crowd dispersed, leaving only a handful around, still soaking in the reality of you being in there. It wasn't always that a new celebrity walked their streets and to make it even more insane, a celebrity who they adore. After making sure that no one wanted anymore autographs or photos, you made your way back into the bus and looked for Kurt.

He was on his MacBook surfing the net with the most expressionless face you've ever seen him show. You slowly made your way to him and patted his legs which were occupying half of the sofa to give you some space. You placed a hand on his knee and squeezed in right next to him. He shifted to the left to allow you more space.

"Kurt, you okay there?" you showed him a concern look.

He just nodded and went back to surfing the net. You felt the need to know what he was doing so you secretly peeked at his screen but he was just merely scrolling up and down his Twitter timeline, not really bothering to read the tweets.

"Kurt, seriously," you tilted your body a little toward him. "What's wrong? You've been acting all weird lately."

"It's really none of your business, Santana," he mumbled.

"Kurt, I'm your friend. You can tell me."

"Look Santana, I said it's none of your business so why not you just shut the hell up and stop sticking your nose up my business," he said sternly before closing the lid of his laptop and storming out of the bus and to the arena.

"I was just trying to help," you mumbled to yourself.

/

Two days had passed in a blink of an eye. You had no idea how time flew by so fast. Your San Francisco concert was a major success, and now your team was heading to Magna in Utah.

It had also been two days since Brittany last texted you and you still have yet to text her back. You were beginning to feel paranoid. You felt like she might have already forgotten about you and moved on to bigger dreams... or maybe met someone more important or interesting than you. You really hoped the latter wasn't the case.

To be frank, you were starting to miss her bubbly personality and her voice. Oh, and not to forget that sweet, sweet dance moves. As much as you wanted her to be your dance replacement, McKenzie still needed a job. Of course you could open up another dancer slot but there were more than enough dancers for this tour.

Every time your phone buzzed, you scurried toward it in hope to see her name flashing on the screen but every time it buzzed, it always turned out to be someone other than her. Sure, you could just call or text her but you were too big of a pussy to do it. You were still worried that Brittany was still upset with you.

Your staring hadn't been unnoticed. McKenzie was starting to feel curious as to what you were waiting for. She shuffled closer to you on the sofa and lightly placed her hand on your knee.

"Are you waiting for it to transform into a robot because honey, trust me, I've tried that and it didn't work," she said seriously.

You narrowed your eyes at her which made her regretted what she said. "I feel like such a bitch."

"You have always been one," she mumbled mostly to herself before receiving a punch from you.

"It's Brittany," you paused. "God! I feel so fucking stupid. Now she doesn't even want to talk to me."

"Honey, maybe she just needs some times," McKenzie closed the remaining gap separating you two and wrapped her arms around you, rubbing your back. "She'll come around eventually."

"What if she doesn't?" you shot back, trying to hide the quaver in your voice but failed miserably.

"If she doesn't, you can punch me as hard as you want," she answered seriously.

You gave her a look to make sure you heard right, and when she nodded seriously, you knew she was not fucking around. You turned your body just a little so that you could return her hug. She cooed you and rubbed the small of your back to calm you down. As you pulled away, you faintly smiled at her and stared back at your phone.

"I'll be here," she smiled, encouraging you to make the call.

You took in a deep breath and unlocked your phone. With your thumb hovering over the green button, you looked back at McKenzie as she squeezed your hand to encourage you to proceed. The small reassuring nod and smile she showed gave you the extra boost of confidence you greatly needed. Without any further hesitation, you pressed the button and waited for the call to get through. Four rings in and you were starting to doubt that she would even pick up but then, the call went through.

There was no sound at the end of the line, only steady breathing. You had the feeling that she might still be upset with you so you decided to just get straight to the point.

"Hey, um Brittany?" you paused. "If you're listening, I… uh… I'm so sorry for what I said to you the other day. I didn't mean it… and I really regretted saying it."

Ten seconds of silence past and you have yet to hear her voice.

"Brittany, please say something," you pleaded. "You have no idea how miserable I've felt the past couple of days."

"Why didn't you text my back?" she asked monotonously.

"What?"

"I said, why didn't you text me back?" she repeated.

"I… I didn't know what to say," you told her truthfully. "Believe me when I say I've tried writing you back but it always ended up not being good enough. Then I just gave up and pretty much cried myself to sleep… well, not literally. But please Brittany, trust me, I didn't mean it."

Your anxiety intensified when another long paused followed after. Just as you were about to say something, Brittany burst into a full-blown laughing fit. You would be lying if you said you were not confused because you totally were. Why was she laughing? How was it funny?

"Santana, relax," she laughed. "I was only teasing you. Sure, I did felt ignored and yes, I was sort of upset but that only lasted a few minutes. And that text thing was not a big deal but it would have been nice if you had texted me back. I forgive you."

"So you're not… mad?" you spoke softly into the transmitter.

"Mad? You thought I was mad?" she broke into another laughing fit. "Why would I be mad?"

"Uh…" you turned to McKenzie for help but she only stared back amusingly back at you. "I don't know?"

"Santana, of all things I am right now," she paused, thinking of how to phrase her next few words only to continue in a tone deeper and more reassuring than the previous. "I am glad. I am so glad you called."

You could have sworn you heard an 'I miss you' hidden somewhere in the sentence but you could never be so sure. Brittany has been playing mind tricks with you since the first day you met. But somehow, this time you felt like it could be true. For the fear of sounding narcissistic, you didn't proceed to ask her about the three words.

McKenzie took a hint that everything was going well and excused herself to the mini fridge for her daily dose of Honey Berry Crunch. You stared at her for a few seconds before focusing solely on Brittany's voice.

"Sooo… um… how are you?" you asked awkwardly.

"Good I guess. I just bailed Lord Tubbington out of jail after he got arrested for the possession of illegal catnip," she said sternly.

As weird as it sounded, the way Brittany said it made it sound so adorable.

Your conversation went on for God knows how long until Quinn forced you to do some paperwork. Such a cock blocker… no, wait, phone rejecter?

"Sorry Britt, Quinn- uh, Ms Fabray wants me to sign some documents," you apologized. "I'll text you when I'm free."

Brittany hummed in understanding and exchanged goodbyes before hanging up. Sometimes you just want to strangle Quinn for what she did. Instead, you glared at her and followed her to the lounge area where McKenzie was still stuffing cereal down her throat and Kurt staring in disgust at the number of boxes she had just gone through. His expression was priceless though.

"Are you a hundred percent sure that much cereal won't kill you?" Kurt asked, eyes transfixed on the box she was devouring on.

"Kill me? Don't be silly," she replied with her mouth full. "If it does, I would have been dead years ago."

You watched on as she shoved another spoonful of cereal into her mouth greedily. That girl really needs to cut down on those. Quinn had to drag you all the way to the table because you were still very much entertained by how disgusted Kurt was and how ravenous McKenzie was even though she had gone through what you think was her third box for the day.

/

You and your team had arrived in Magna about a couple of hours ago, and thanks to your newly found star status, you managed to pull some strings and got yourself a suite for the price of a normal hotel room. It was big enough for you, Quinn and McKenzie but due to Kurt's constant whining, you finally let him stay in the same room. What harm could he possibly do to you girls anyway? He couldn't even hurt a fly.

Kurt and Quinn were busy laughing among themselves and drinking in the living room while McKenzie had been awe-ing at your shoes that you've packed just for performing purposes. You knew her crazy shoe fetish for awhile now and you can't blame the girl – or rather, any girl – for getting jealous over your fabulous shoe collections. You had to thank the designers and your sponsors for sending some to you.

You were lying flat on your stomach on the king-sized bed facing the still awestruck McKenzie and occasionally checking your Twitter feed on your phone. If you hadn't turned off your Twitter notifications, you would have already been bombarded with tweets from fans about the concert that's happening tomorrow night. You do appreciate every single positive tweet from them but sometimes it gets a little too overwhelming.

After briefly scanning through your interactions, you exited the application and went on to search yourself on Tumblr. After what seemed like an endless string of posts and GIFs from the concerts you'd performed, one GIF photoset in particular caught your eye.

Someone seemed to have recorded the incident just outside the Staples Centre on your first concert in LA. You enlarged one of the GIFs. Her hand was in yours and it seemed like you were not that concerned by it. It seemed like you didn't want to let go of her hand. Maybe that was what triggered the rumour.

"Kenzie, lend me your MacBook," you ordered.

"What for?" she asked, still very much into molesting all of your shoes.

"Just lend it to me."

When she returned with her MacBook Air in her hands, your eyes were still glued to your phone; still studying that particular GIF. She plummeted onto the bed, causing you to bounce a little on your spot as she handed you her laptop which you hurriedly switched on and connected to the hotel's WiFi. After searching through the same endless string of said posts and GIFs, you finally found the photoset and enlarged the image.

You subtly looked to your left and McKenzie was back to molesting your shoes, and you thanked God for that because at least she won't be shooting you questions.

Yup, totally holding hands.

If you weren't Santana Lopez but just some random passerby, you would have assumed that Brittany and you were together. It was starting to make sense now. McKenzie could be right; Brittany might have an attraction toward you.

"What's with that frown?" McKenzie asked. "I've never seen you focusing so hard on something before… well, besides shoe sales or rumours about you."

"Nothing…" you dragged, still very much focused on the computer screen.

McKenzie scooted over and leaned in closer to you, head peeking at the computer screen.

"Whoa sweet Lord, what's with this?" she pointed to the hands, eyes wide but smirking like a perverted man. "Dude, this is not nothing!"

You were kind of expecting that reaction from her. Your hand flew to cover her mouth to prevent her from saying anything else for the fear of Quinn finding out. The last thing you wanted was an insane Fabray on your tail.

Well, even if McKenzie was to say it – or rather, scream it – out loud (wanky), Quinn wouldn't have heard since she had passed out on the sofa with Kurt. But it was a precaution.

"Holy crap, Lopez," she playfully punched your shoulder, smiling widely. "You and the blonde?"

"What? No!" you whisper-shouted. "I didn't realize I was holding her hand the entire time."

"Lemme guess," she changed her position to Indian style to make herself more comfortable. "And then the paparazzi, then the GIFs, then the rumours?"

You narrowed your eyes slightly and stared at her momentarily before returning your gaze to the computer screen. McKenzie shifted a little in her spot and began playing with the hem of her shirt; clearly uncomfortable with the way you looked at her.

"Um… does Brittany know about this?" she added, voice softer that what it was before.

You slowly shook your head whilst shrugging your shoulders. She nudged you to make a call to Brittany, and alternated her eyes between yours and your abandoned phone by the pillow behind you.

"And why would I call her?" it came out more of a statement than a question. "The last time I talked to her about this, she completely ignored me for a few days."

"Dude, she has the right to know about this," she shoved you a little. "Weren't you two the ones who involved in this? And I thought she has forgiven you already?"

"Ugh, fine," you threw your head back in defeat.

You reached out behind you and grabbed your phone, looking at McKenzie who had busied herself by studying the photoset on her laptop. You stared at her for a second longer just in case she decided to focus on you. You sighed audibly and stared back at the small black screen. Unlocking it, you searched through the contacts and stopped at her name. You did not hesitate to press the dial button because if you did, you would just chicken out and Brittany would not know about this photoset until someone else tells her.

Three rings in and the line was answered, followed by a shy hello.

"Um… Hi, Brittany?" you asked timidly.

"_Santana,_" the woman replied.

"Are you busy at the moment?"

"_Not really… I was just playing Call of Duty with Sam,"_ she answered, sounding more curious as to why you suddenly asked her that question. "_Is everything okay?_"

No, nothing's okay. Everything was a mess. Another slipup and this friendship (or whatever it was) would become even more complicated that it was now. When she called out your name for the second time, you shook yourself out of your thoughts.

"I'm… I'm here," you faintly smiled. "I have something to tell you… show you, actually."

What a perfect moment for your mind to totally blank out. Unintelligible words started to pour out of your mouth but thanks McKenzie squeezing your knee to calm you down, you managed to regain back your composure and thought of proper words to say.

"Do you remember that day when you were held out of the Staples Centre just because you didn't have a pass on you?"

"_Yeah…_" she dragged. "_And you came to my rescue._"

"Well, yeah… but that's not the point," you continued. "Apparently, some guy recorded the entire thing and uploaded it onto the internet."

You heard her hummed on the other end of the line and you went on to explain further on your purpose of calling.

"So yeah, someone posted it on Tumblr and it seems like a lot of people have either reblogged it or liked it."

When she hummed for the second time, you got the feeling that she didn't quite understand what you were saying so you suggested on Skyping her instead so that she could see what you were seeing.

After adding her on Skype, you proceeded to call her to which only took a few rings before she answered. For the first time in more than a week, you finally got to see her. You almost forgot how pretty she looked. When she managed to snap you out of your daydream, you smiled embarrassingly before going straight to the point.

McKenzie leaned closer to you so that she was in the frame. "Sup Britt!" she swaggered her fingers.

"Uh, hi McKenzie?" she replied awkwardly.

You glared at McKenzie the moment she called her by her nickname because the last time you called her that, you received the silent treatment. McKenzie looked back at your clearly confused by your reaction and shrugged her shoulders like she had done nothing wrong.

You diverted your attention back to Brittany again.

"I hope you don't mind Kenzie here," you smiled apologetically. "So about the photoset, I'mma change this to Screen Sharing and show you what I mean."

After what seemed like a long moment of silence, you heard a deep intake of breath which could only mean she was either upset or relieved.

"_So I guess that is it then?_" she finally spoke as you set back your camera to the original settings.

"I don't know, Britt," you answered, not knowing what she meant and completely not realizing that you called her that again. "I really don't."

The rest of the video call was pretty awkward and quiet with occasional smiling and small talks with McKenzie interrupting once in a while. You even promised her that you'd talk to her more when you had the time but looking at your extremely packed schedule, you weren't exactly sure how you could squeeze in secret phone calls or texts without Quinn having suspicions. It was harder now that you were always around Quinn and Kurt. McKenzie on the other hand was totally cool about it.

/

You woke up to the constant vibrations of your phone. Apparently, 7am was the perfect time to be calling up people. Your head was throbbing badly due to the excessive drinking after getting off the video chat with Brittany and you weren't even a heavy drinker.

You stretched across the bed to the bedside table for your phone and your hand slammed down on the table top with a loud thud. Kurt and McKenzie were already starting to get annoyed by your phone and the loud thud you created.

"What?" you groaned tiredly.

"_Santana mija,_" your mom spoke. "_Is that the way to talk to your mother?_"

You shook every last bit of sleep from your body and sat up straight on your bed.

"Mammi, I'm so sorry," you apologized. "It's just that I didn't look at the caller ID, it's too early in the morning."

You had to stop speaking so loudly because your head was starting to hurt even more. Kurt, who had been suffering from the same terrible hangover, threw a pillow at you in hope to shut up you but you just ignored him.

"_Santana honey, it's ten in the morning,"_ she stated. "_Shouldn't you be up by now?"_

"No, mammi," you corrected. "It's ten where you are but it's seven where I'm at."

The rest of the call was just you and your mom catching up on stuff since you hadn't seen her in a while after you've made your big break. Never had you heard her so cheerful in your life. Once you hung up, Kurt attacked you with more pillows and McKenzie was mumbling words you couldn't decipher but from the crease on her forehead, it was not something good.

"God, Santana, shut the hell up!" Kurt whisper-shouted with his hands cupping his ears to reduce the noise that was causing his migraine to worsen.

Only then that you realized that Quinn was nowhere to be found. You forcefully pulled yourself out of bed and dragged yourself to the kitchen. From the heavenly smell of bacon, you knew that Quinn was in there. How could you possibly separate those two from each other? Hell, if there is a law that allows people to marry food, she would have done it ages ago.

You sneakily grabbed a couple of bacons but Quinn, like the bacon-obsessed freak she was, swatted your hand away mercilessly.

"Ow!" you screamed, retrieving your hand away from the plate of crispy deliciousness. "But I'm starving."

"I will share some with you later… once I eat most of them," she joked. "Now stop pouting because seeing the badass Santana Lopez pout is creeping me out."

"But moooom!" you whined, exaggerating your pout. "I'm starving."

After a solid fifteen minutes of whining, Quinn finally gave in and gave you a small piece of bacon. How generous. By the time you finished chewing on your one pathetic little piece of meat, Quinn had already chow down a plate of them. You swore she's a monster when it comes to anything bacon-related. Even though it was so unfeminine, she somehow managed to make it look so lady-like. Only Quinn was able to make bacon-eating lady-like.

"Q, you might want to slow down a little," you stood up and fished out a box of Aspirin from Quinn's bag on the island while looking worriedly at her. "I really don't want you to end up in the emergency room just because you choked on a piece of bacon."

"Dom wo-ey, I won't," she mumbled, food still stuffed in her mouth.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," you shrugged, swallowing the pill to help ease your still-throbbing head.

The girl really needed to slow down because if Kurt were to see this, all hell will break loose. You stood up and went around Quinn toward the sink to wash your greasy hand, stopping halfway to pat on her shoulders and leaving some grease on her perfectly white top without her knowing since she was so engrossed in her bacon.

"If you were a toddler and I was your mom, I would hug the life out of you right now," you confessed.

Quinn froze at your words and her eyes widened. You just smirked at her priceless reaction but it all ended too soon for your entertainment. Quinn's shocked expression slowly morphed into that of an amused one.

"Are you trying to say I look cute?" she teased. "The badass Santana Lopez thinks I'm cute?"

The teasing continued for a solid five minutes and you tried your best to shut her up. You were screwed because if you knew Quinn well, you know she would use whatever dirty little secrets she knew about you and use them against your will or to get what she wants.

You blocked all the teases and words coming out of her mouth because in every sentence she made, she would find a way to slide in the _cute_ thing in them. As much as you loved Quinn, this was something that really made you hate about her. She's just like a small child who always picks on other kids. She's a verbal bully, if that even made any sense.

The rest of the morning consisted of Quinn trying as hard as she could not to make any _cute_ jokes but it always backfired. Now you regretted voicing out that opinion. Kurt and McKenzie had been looking at you two weird since the first tease they overheard.

"I am so gonna kill you, Fabray!" you whispered angrily at her.

"With what? Your cuteness?" she burst out laughing, making both Kurt and McKenzie look at you two questionably. "Ah! Santana's killing me with her fluffy ball of cuteness!"

Damn you Fabray.

With your signature eye roll, you shot her one more death glare before pushing her out of the way to make your way to your room and isolated yourself until McKenzie decided to barge into your room with a box of cereal in her hand.

"Cuteness overload!" she screamed for no apparent reason.

Her cereal scattered across the bed and on you when she jumped onto the bed. You just sat there shocked and stared between the mess and McKenzie who was now picking up the cereal one by one and stuffing them in her mouth.

"Sorry," she squeaked.

You just shook your head and leaned back on the headboard, fiddling with your phone. You weren't really doing anything with it. When McKenzie was done clearing up the mess, she crawled up beside you and pushed her box toward you to urge you to eat some but you kindly declined her offer.

"Quinn kind of told us about what happened earlier," she continued stuffing more cereals into her mouth. "It's cute of you… and weird."

You grabbed a pillow and playfully hit her. "Shut up," you smiled.

After what seemed like possibly the longest awkward yet comfortable silence, McKenzie started asking you questions you never thought she'd bring up.

"So… what's going to happen between you and Brittany?"

Yup, totally got you by surprise.

"What?" you frowned. "What's there with Brittany and I?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, still engrossed in her cereal. "Oh and by the way, Kurt wants you in the living room. Something about picking your attire for tonight's show."

With that, she pulled herself out of bed and headed out the door. You sat there, thinking of nothing but her question.

_What's going to happen between you and Brittany?_

/

A/N 2: I understand that there are minimal interactions between Brittana at the moment but there will be more in the future chapters. And I think by chapter 6, you'll expect more of interactions and possibly intense scenes. ;) - Frae


	5. Chapter 5 - Home Sweet Home

A/N: It's finally time for Santana and the gang to come home! This also means more Brittana interactions from now on. :) I will also have to push the weekly updates a day later to Friday nights (around 9pm Singapore time [GMT +8]).I think that's all. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

StephaniieC: Thanks! I really hope chapter 6 will be worth the wait because I know chapter 7 is. ;)

Chapter 5 – Home Sweet Home

/

Just like that, two weeks had past and it'd be only a week before this tour would be over. You had had the most wonderful journey even if there were days where you would want to rip your hair out but nothing beats what you had experienced throughout the entire journey.

You and Brittany had sorted out your differences two weeks before and since then, you've either gotten a call from or sent one out to her everyday… without Quinn's knowledge, of course. If Quinn were to find out, she would have gone insane by now with her no-secret-relationship-without-telling-Quinn-first rule. It wasn't exactly a relationship. It was just a friendly chat after all.

After every show and its mini after-show celebration, you would always make up excuses to go to the bathroom or somewhere quiet just so you could send out a text to her saying how awesome the night's show was as compared to the previous ones. And you would always get a congratulatory text right after, followed by a smiley, and it never fails to make your insides squirm with joy.

You couldn't wait till the show was over.

/

_Day twenty three, eight days left._

You were already counting down to the end of the tour. You couldn't wait to finally be back home and finally get to meet Brittany in person; no more text messaging, no more voice calls and no more Skyping or Facetiming.

You'd built a strong friendship over the course of the tour and it just seemed like you would go crazy if you weren't able to socialize with her even for a day. She was just so addictive. She was like a best friend you never had.

Quinn and Kurt were pretty unique too but Brittany, she was something else. She never made you feel like you're wasting her time. Never once had she returned a text sounding annoyed because you had sent her one as early as five in the morning. It was mostly your fault because you had no idea what time it was due to the time difference.

Both of you hadn't really shared a lot about yourselves but it felt like she knew you inside out. Psssh! Of course, your background and everything were published online right after each interview. How you hate the media sometimes.

Back to reality, you couldn't wait till this tour is over and catch up on your much needed sleep once you get home.

/

_Day twenty six._

The moment you walked into the green room, you were totally taken aback by how still everyone was standing – or sitting. It was only when you heard McKenzie screaming that you knew something was not right. She had been panicking and pacing around in the room, throwing whatever she could grab onto around the room. Even Quinn who was the most insane one just stood there with eyes opened wide, unsure of what to do. Karofsky had been trying to calm her down but he always ended up being beaten with whatever object McKenzie was holding.

"Kenzie?" you spoke slowly and softly, trying not to freak her out. "Are you okay?"

She just kept freaking out, oblivious to what you were trying to do.

"Kenzie?" You raised your voice a little higher before finally screaming out her name. "McKenzie! Listen to me!"

When she still didn't, you stepped in front of her and grabbed both her arms, shaking her vigorously to grab her attention. The moment you stared into her eyes, you saw how terrified and lost she was. She seemed like she was about to break out into tears in a couple of seconds. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

You loosened your grip and pulled her in for a hug, hoping that it would calm her down. Her body was as stiff as a wooden plank so you gently rubbed her back while still hugging her. Soon, you felt her starting to relax and giving in to your embrace.

Everyone was still staring at her in shock and maybe even more shocked when you suddenly stepped in and gave her a hug since you weren't the kind that cares of how people feel. But McKenzie, she was not your ordinary friend. She was like your baby sister and you'd do anything to make sure she was alright and safe. Seeing her like this just made your heart ache.

"Shh… It's okay," you cooed, stroking the back of her head. "Everything's gonna be okay."

Thirty minutes had gone by and McKenzie had just stopped sobbing. You were yet to find out what had exactly triggered this kind of reaction. You've got to say, it was definitely frightening to see her being so small and fragile. She was always cheerful and hyper.

"My small dream catcher…" she mumbled, voice still quivering.

You just stared at her longer, not knowing why it was such a big deal. You could have just bought her a new one.

"My mum… she gave it to me," she paused, trying to steady her breathing. "Bef-before I left for America."

Oh god, how could you forget that? Being away from your homeland yet alone your family for years was not an easy thing to get over. Losing the only thing that reminds you of them was worse.

Not knowing what else to say, you stretched out your arms and hugged her from behind, hoping to calm her down further.

"You'll find it," you whispered. "We'll find it together."

McKenzie sniffled, and bopped her head up and down before turning her body around to return your hug. _Thank you_, she mouthed out, burying her face into your shoulder.

/

You were lying on your second level bunk in the band bus surfing the net when your phone buzzed. As you brought it into your view, a smile slowly spread across your face. You ran your fingers along the border of your phone screen before answering the call.

"_Hey you_," she chirped. "_How's tour_?"

"Tiring," you playfully groaned. "As much as I love doing this, I can't wait until all this is over."

_And I can't wait until I get to meet you again._ You added in your head.

"_Mhmm,_" she hummed in agreement. "_Any interesting thing happened?_"

Your mind was brought back to what had happened early that night. McKenzie freaking out was something you couldn't really just let go.

"Not really," you lied. "How are you?"

"_I'm great!"_ she cheered. "_I'm teaching dance part time to kids."_

"Impressive," you raised your voice a tone higher.

You found yourself hypnotized by Brittany's voice and weren't really listening to what she was saying. Her voice, umph, it was enough to make you feel like you're in cloud nine. Her voice was lullaby material. If only she could sing you to sleep, that'll be amazing.

"_Santana! My kitchen's on fire!"_ she screamed.

You jumped and almost dropped your phone before you pressed it back onto your ear, and shot her multiple questions and told her to stay as far away from the fire as possible. When you heard her let out an obnoxious laugh, you almost shouted at her.

"Geez, calm down woman," she said. "I was just messing with you. You weren't even listening to me, you're just humming to whatever I'm saying."

"But that doesn't mean you should make that joke," you shot back; obviously not happy with what she had done to you.

"_I'm sorry if I've made you panicky_," she apologized in the cutest mumble you've ever heard.

Your breath hitched the moment you heard it and your mind went blank.

_Why must she be so adorable? This isn't fair_.

"_Santana? Are you there?" _she asked. "_Must I make up another fake accident again_?"

"What? No! I mean, no don't," you replied. "It's just that…"

"_Just what?_"

You tried brushing it off but when Brittany urged you to say it, you tried directing the topic away again. But that god-awfully cute whine she let out and knowing that she was doing that fucking adorable pout she always does on your video chats gave you no other choice.

"Fine," you relented. "It's cute… your mumble. It was cute."

There was that usual moment of silence every time you told her something like that. It only made you think that she didn't like the compliment or for this case, you not wanting to tell me until she forced you to.

"_Awe, thank you_," she softened. "_That was sweet of you_."

It would be an understatement to say that you were surprised by her reaction. You were more than surprised; you were totally not expecting that from her. Usually, she would just keep quiet and end the call awkwardly or just say a simple "thank you".

"Uh, you're… welcome? I guess?" you asked. You didn't exactly know how to respond to that, to be honest.

You heard her giggled at your awkward comeback. "_So I'll see you soon, I guess? Enjoy your last days of tour!_"

"Will do, thanks," you smiled stupidly. "See you soon, Britt."

_Five more days._ You told yourself.

/

_Day Thirty._

It was true what they say, time really does fly when you're having fun. Your legs hadn't stop shaking the moment you reached your final stop.

"Nevada, please let this be the best show for me!" you screamed to yourself.

McKenzie and Mike were startled by your sudden outburst of excitement and were staring at you questioningly. They were just wrapping up on final rehearsals when you decided to crash in their session and just spent the last remaining time seeing what people were up to before the tour was over so that the memories would still be fresh in your mind when you return home.

McKenzie passed her towel over to Mike and slowly walked toward you. "You mean us?" she smiled. You nodded excitedly and smiled at her silly. It was definitely odd for you to smile this wide and be so hyped-up about everything. But c'mon, it was the last day of tour! Of course you were a little bummed that all this would be over in a matter of hours. The only reasons you couldn't wait for it to be over were that you could finally sleep in your own bed, not worry about tour-stress and lastly, you finally get to see Brittany in person.

"Someone's a little happy today," Mike added. "What's up?"

"Nothing, I'm just in a really good mood," you shrugged, swinging your legs back and forth on the chair you were sitting on.

"Yeah, good mood," McKenzie nudged your shoulder and threw you a wink.

At least someone knew the real reason as to why you were this bright that particular morning. You sneaked a wink at McKenzie and shrugged as if it was not a big deal. Well, it wasn't. You were just ecstatic to finally be able to see her not just on screen but in person; real-life five feet seven person.

Mike didn't seem to notice it so he just shrugged it off and patted you on the shoulder before he went off to the locker room of the arena to wash up. McKenzie had been smirking at you since the moment she knew the actual reason. Not only that, she had been nudging you hoping you could give her a little inside on what was going on between you and Brittany.

"There's nothing between us," you said shyly but McKenzie was still not buying it. "I'm serious Kenz, we are just friends… really good friends."

You looked away as your cheeks burned red. McKenzie didn't miss it though; she was chuckling at how embarrassed you were when you talked about her. She attacked you with continuous pokes on your side while chuckling like a maniac. Her teasing never really got you all red and shy, so this was something new.

After what seemed like an eternity later, McKenzie finally left to freshen up and you were sitting there alone smiling like an idiot. The last show was only eight hours away and you were done with sound checks and all the day before. The last minute sound check only starts at six so you had six hours of the day to yourself. Like what any girl would do, shopping was on the top of the list.

After calling up Quinn and Karofsky about your afternoon plan, you sat backstage where McKenzie and Mike were rehearsing along with other dancers, waiting for them. It took you a lot of persuading for Quinn to finally agree to your invite. Not to forget, after McKenzie overheard your conversation, she was practically begging you to bring you along. You felt a little guilty so you just accepted her request.

"Someone's in a good mood," Quinn said while walking toward you with Karofsky by her side smiling. "What's up?"

"Nothing," you smiled back. "I'm just happy, that's all. So you guys ready?"

"Na-ah! Don't you dare leave me here alone," McKenzie shouted from the other side of the room as she ran toward you. "What kind of friend are you?"

"Ah shit, sorry Kenz," you gave her an apologetic look. "Forgotten about you."

"Yeah right, so where're we going?" she asked.

As soon as you reached the shopping mall, you were surrounded by a crowd screaming your name and some were crying. Again, this was the con of being a celebrity; you could barely shop without getting mobbed by your fans or paparazzi. Luckily, you were smart enough to bring along Karofsky who helped you control the crowd.

You could really use any one or two bodyguards but then it'll be really expensive. Actually, considering how popular you'd become, money was not a problem. It was the trust issues you had with people that made it harder for you to get along with them. The only reason you trusted Karofsky was that he went to school together with you and Quinn, and the years of threatening him only made you two a little closer to each other.

The crowd only dispersed when they were satisfied with what they got, whether it was an autograph or just a photograph with you. Thanks to your fans, you had wasted an hour trying to give each and every one of your fans something. You loved being recognized for your talent but times like this, you really just want to do what you originally planned on doing.

Quinn and McKenzie were already getting utterly bored by how much time you were spending with your fans and being ignored by you. By the time you went back to them, their sweet smiles had already been replaced by sour ones. Quinn had her arms crossed on her chest and McKenzie seemed distracted by her constant buzzing of her phone. It must have been one of her other friends… or a bunch.

"So sorry guys, couldn't leave them begging for some of me," you smiled apologetically.

"Don't worry about it," Quinn shrugged, still very much engrossed with playing with her fingers. "This is your life now, we understand."

"C'mon Q, don't be like that," you tried cheering her up. "It's our last day before we go home. Let's just… let's just have fun today, alright?"

"Technically, it's **your** last day," Quinn corrected. "We still have to work while you stay at home resting."

You were rendered speechless by what she just said. What a way to make you feel guiltier. There wasn't really an off-day for Quinn. She was constantly working on either your scheduling or trying to confirm or decline rumours about you. McKenzie on the other hand shared the same length of break between tours since she was your dancer. She didn't really have anything else to do outside of dancing so she usually just hang out with you staring at the same four walls hoping to kill time.

After Quinn cheered up a little, the shopping trip brightened up a little more and turned out better than you originally expected. Betsy Johnson, M.A.C and Chanel were just a few of the things you bought. McKenzie went crazy on shoes while Quinn went on a journey in Bookville. She did buy a couple of sundresses that could easily pass as hipster clothing. Psst, such a lady.

The only person not having much fun was Karofsky. Most of the time he was just standing by you holding the girls' bags while trying to keep fans away from you. Every time he grunts, you deadpan at him which managed shut him up for the first few minutes before repeating the process all over again. It did annoy you but you just let it slip since you were the one that dragged him into coming with you.

After hours of shopping, you realized that you were running a little late for the last sound check and by the time you reached the band bus, the AV guys and event manager were pulling you to the arena.

/

Just like that, the last show was over and the entire crew was celebrating backstage. No matter how exhausted you were at that moment, knowing that you would be home the next day just gave you the energy to celebrate your heart out that night.

As usual, you went to a quiet spot to call Brittany but when she didn't pick up, your smile quickly disappeared. You tried calling her again but this time, it just went straight to voicemail. As much as you want to believe that she was busy at that time, you couldn't because this was the first time she'd ever reject your call. Instead of trying to redial, you decided to leave her a message.

"Hey Britt, um I'm guessing you're busy now so I'm just calling to tell you that the tour is over and I'll be in Cali by tomorrow afternoon," you said. "So I hope to see you soon."

You hung up and just stared at your phone. The crease in your frown was still there when McKenzie approached you with a bottle of champagne. She tilted her head to the side to get a better view of your face and asked you if you were troubled by anything but you just shook your head and fake a smile. You might as well enjoy the rest of the night than to sulk because someone didn't want to answer your call. There had to be some logical reason to why she wasn't picking up her phone. Maybe she was in the showers or maybe she had left her phone in her room while she went to make supper. Whatever it was, you decided not to dwell on it and just enjoy your night.

/

It would have been an understatement to say that the night's party was insane. It was way beyond insane. Champagne was all over the backstage floor and people were laughing at the top of their lungs. You even saw the strictly-business-no-fooling-around Quinn Fabray flirting with some stagehand at the far end of the backstage. From what you knew about Quinn, she had never been the one who would just flirt blindly. She didn't even know who that stagehand was yet she still flirted with him.

You were a hundred percent sure you were drunk if crying hysterically about a lone chair in the middle of the room was a sign. Being a weepy hysterical drunk was one of your biggest embarrassments. Not only would you cry at the most random objects, you would even make a scene and tell everyone how lonely or depressed that object was. It was that pathetic.

It was only until McKenzie decided to pull you out of the party and sent you back to the band bus that you stopped crying and passed out on the bed from exhaustion because of all the unnecessary crying. One thing for sure, you would have to face a killer hangover the next morning and that was something you'd regret once you wake up.

/

"Ugh, what happened?" you croaked out. The hangover hadn't only kicked in, it literally hammered you and maybe even crushed your skull in the process. Every single little noise produced was amplified by probably a thousand or a million times in your head.

"Well, the good news was you didn't make a big of a scene last night," McKenzie shrugged as she lazily stirred her milk-soaked cereals. "The bad news, however, you kind of rolled on the alcohol-soaked floor crying about some abandoned lone chair in the middle of the backstage and everyone just circled you and stared at how ridiculous you looked."

"Kenz, stop shouting," you whispered, covering your ears to block out the noise. "And really? That was some show then."

You forced your body weight onto one arm that was propped up and tilted your body to look at McKenzie who was happily slurping and munching on her bowl of soggy cereals. At least someone didn't have a killer hangover. Something told you that she didn't even drink last night which was way beyond normal since she practically goes everywhere with a flask of anything alcoholic.

"Why aren't you hungover?" you asked out of curiousity.

"Honey, I am," she stated it like it was obvious. "I just know how to hide it better. Now if you don't want to arrive in Cali in last night's alcohol-stenched dress, I suggest you change and maybe clean yourself a little. Maybe spray a little perfume; by little I mean a bottle."

You rolled your eyes but couldn't entirely disagree with her; you did smell awful thanks to Quinn's ingenious idea of showering you in the champagne yesterday. You signalled McKenzie to throw you anything comfy and something that screams "Look at me, bitches!" which was for when they make their grand walk to some conference or whatever Quinn had scheduled them for.

Thank god McKenzie had some awesome sense of fashion because if you were to ask Quinn, she'd probably throw you a sundress and a huge hat. Whatever Quinn wears, Quinn looks good in it but if you were to wear like her, you'd look like you've just went clothes shopping with a bunch of moms.

You came out of the small cubicle in the band bus in a fairly large black hooded jacket and skinny jeans that looked like they were painted on. It was not entirely comfortable but at least you still looked fashionable. You had McKenzie to thank that for.

"Cereal?" McKenzie asked as you plunged down on the sofa, massaging your head.

"No, I just need Aspirin," you groaned in pain. "This hangover is killing me and the last thing I want is for you to start shouting."

After you were tossed some pills and handed a glass of water, you immediately swallowed them down and set the rest on the table. "Where's Quinn and the rest?" you asked, not really looking for an answer.

"Still in the bunks, Karofsky and Kurt are in the instrument room," she shrugged, swirling around her soggy cereals. "Who knows what they could be doing in there."

You scrunched up your nose in disgust when a mental image was painted in your head. They did have a history in high school but from what you knew, they hadn't even talked about it since then. Just picturing them together was horrific enough for you.

"I'm just gonna lay down for a while," you informed her. "Don't bother me unless we're there."

/

"Yo, Lopez," shouted a male voice from outside. "Yo, wake up! We're here."

"Maybe I should wake her up," said a gentle female voice right after.

Your head was still pounding but it wasn't as bad as it was before. When you felt a hand stroking your hair, you stirred a little and pushed body into the hand, wanting to feel more of its heat on your head. But as soon as you did that, it retreated and you groaned at the loss of heat.

"Umm, Santana?" the same voice asked. "I think you should wake up now. We're home… well, kind of."

You opened your eyes in a flash and stared at the blonde standing by your bed. It wasn't the blonde you were hoping to find which made it a little awkward considering what you did just a few moments ago. You bumped your head on the underside of the top bunk, earning yourself a sharp but numbing pain on your forehead as you rubbed it in hope to ease the pain a little.

You could hear Quinn trying to muffle her chuckles and you just narrowed your eyes at her. You slowly got up and walked toward the exit with Quinn who was still trying to get a grip on herself.

"Are you really wearing that?" Kurt asked, offended.

"Hummel, all I want to do now is get back to my apartment and sleep," you replied. "It's not like we're off somewhere."

"Actually, we are," Quinn interrupted. "You have an interview at the promenade later."

"Can't it wait? I'm sick of all these interviews," you whined.

No matter how hard you tried, Quinn just shot you down by saying that this interview was as good as meeting the president which you highly doubt. You looked down at your attire which McKenzie chose for you. It wasn't bad but definitely not suitable for an interview that was deemed "presidential" by Quinn.

A hooded jacket and skinny jeans seemed acceptable enough for a private interview but apparently, Quinn decided that it was best to have a public one in the middle of Third Street Promenade with all the people watching… judging. As much as you loved publicity, this was just too much. You were comfortable enough in this attire and now you would have to change.

Kurt had to drag you back into the bus and threw you the dress McKenzie picked out earlier. You expected him to pick out another outfit since he was the fashion guru but it sort of surprised you that he actually accepted McKenzie's choice. As you shimmied into the dress, Kurt was busy blabbering to himself about what choice makeup he would cake on your face. Something about layering some cheap foundation with branded powder which was rather questionable since the Kurt you've always knew was always against cheap, lousy stuff.

It took him half an hour to apply the makeup and another half an hour doing your hair. It wasn't perfect but it was the best he could do within a short period of time. Quinn had already barged in a few times telling you to hurry up and Kurt kept signalling for a few more minutes. You just sat there with your phone clutched in your hand. There wasn't really much you could do other than to sit there and wait for him to get you ready. For an hour's work by a man, you actually turned out looking rather stunning. You'd have Kurt to thank for that.

McKenzie was the first one to run up to you and compliment on your looks. As usual, you dramatically flaunted whatever you got and did a spin for her. You weren't aware of the paparazzi standing a few feet away, snapping whatever chances they got the moment you were in their sights. It was only when one of them asked you to pose for the camera that you realized they had been there for awhile.

You posed for barely two minutes before you tugged Quinn along with you to bring you to the promenade where the so-called "presidential" interview which wasn't really an interview but more of a QnA session for the fans. The screaming hadn't died off the moment you stepped onto the temporary platform that was set up for the session.

Like any ordinary humble celebrity, you stopped for a few photos and autographs for the fans. Some of them even cried when you interacted with them. These small things just made your day even brighter. Knowing that you are a role model to them and that they follow whatever you do or wear was definitely the highlight of your career. The fame and fortune did change your life but having such an awesome fan base beats everything.

After going through what seemed like a couple of dozens of people, the next person took you completely by surprise. The familiar voice, the slender, well-manicured fingers and her height; it seemed all too familiar. As you immediately snapped up and locked eyes with the blue ones. Everything in the world seemed to freeze that very moment. You tried to take in all the beauty and the realism of the situation.

"Britt-Brittany?" you stuttered, eyes wide open.

"Santana," replied the blonde.

There was a playful smirk on her face when you saw her. You still couldn't believe how real she was. It was only until she landed her hand on your arm that you confirmed how real this situation was. Your mind went completely blank and whatever words you say out were all jumbled up. It was still very much surreal. It still felt like a dream. Her giggled shook you out of your state and you tried to make sense of your words.

"What… what are you doing here?" you asked, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"I heard you were going to have an interview here so I thought 'why not drop by?'" she shrugged. "Besides I just got off work."

She pointed over her shoulder to what seemed to be the dance studio she had been talking about over the phone. You tore your eyes from her and looked over to the studio where children and adults were spilling out from and looked back at Brittany who you now noticed how sweaty and tired she looked.

Just when you were starting to warm up to the idea of Brittany being right in front of you, Quinn pulled up away and informed you that you only had less than two minutes before they went live. You gave Brittany an apologetic look while Quinn dragged you away. Quinn obviously didn't see Brittany because if she did, she would have let you stay a few seconds longer to say your hi's or bye's.

You shifted in your seat uncomfortably and scanned your eyes over to the spot where Brittany previously was. She was all smiles and waved at you like a fangirl who just got recognized by her favourite celebrity. Other fans were also smiling, screaming and waving at you but you could only see her. It was like nothing else matters anymore than to finally meet someone you've been bonding with digitally in person.

Finally the camera was rolling and you were being queued to be interviewed. You peeled your eyes from the crowd and to the camera, smiling as wide as you could and mouthing a small hello to the camera. The interviewer went first as he made an opening statement and introduced you.

"Coming to you live from Third Street Promenade, I'm William Schuester and joining me is the beautiful and talented Santana Lopez!" said the enthusiastic man. "How does it feel to be back here after touring for an entire month? Any interesting experiences?"

"Great, great! I had a blast meeting all the fans; they were all so sweet and supportive. There were a few interesting experiences…" you trailed off. There were definitely a few interesting experiences. You looked over to Brittany who was still smiling and bouncing on her feet. "I really love it when my fans sang along with me. It made us feel united, like we are a part of the same community. Same family, you know? I definitely made a few new friends along the way and these fans, they are the world to me; I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them."

"That must have been a really great experience," he commented. "Moving on, are you seeing anyone at the moment or are you still waiting for the right one?"

"Jeez, hahaha, I don't know, I really don't," you admitted. "I'm not seeing anyone and I'm not planning to any time soon. I guess when the right time comes or rather, when the right one comes, I'll probably give them a shot. But right now, I'm just enjoying life as it is."

/

A bunch of questions and love messages from both fans and William Schuester later, you were finally let off and Quinn was the first person to rush up to you. That one arched brow and that you're-not-telling-me-everything look she gave you was a little intimidating. Forgetting her for a moment, you stretched your neck out a little to see if Brittany was still standing there. She was still there staring at her phone, hoping to meet you before you head off. You were disturbed by Quinn tugging on your sleeve.

"Wow Santana, who was that back there?" Quinn teased, elbowing you in the process. "I've never seen or heard you talk like that before."

You just shrugged it off like it was nothing and asked her to wait for you back at the bus while you head off somewhere. Once you were sure she had bought your excuse and was way beyond eye view and ear shot, you walked over to Brittany who was patiently waiting for you at her little spot.

"Hey," you greeted, cheeks starting to heat up a little.

You were unable to look at her in the eye because you were too shy or something people do when they are nervous when talking to someone they are attracted to.

"Hey," she smiled. "That was great, what you shared."

Your cheeks burned a little more, causing it to redden as time passes. Both of you shuffled a nervously in your spots as you were exchanging words. The shuffling and the occasional giggles could have been passed as flirting if not for McKenzie casually reminding you how you two looked like while talking to each other.

"I still can't believe we finally met, again," you repeated in a tone so low, it was audible only to the both of you.

Brittany moved a little forward and held both your hands in hers as she mouthed out "me too". Your small smile slowly grew into a full blown smile as you pulled her closer for a hug. You took in a deep breath and breathed in her scent as you tightened your hug before pulling away and reminding her to keep in contact, be it on the phone or in person. You slowly backed up, still holding onto one of her hands as you walked away to the bus. Until it was too far to hold that you let go of her hand and sent her another genuine smile as you walked off to the bus with McKenzie by your side.

The fans were still hanging around the area and some even followed you all the way to the bus. They were still screaming your name and chanting "We love you, Santana". It was definitely a heart-warming homecoming you have ever had. But the highlight of the day had to be meeting Brittany in person for the first time in weeks.

/


	6. Chapter 6 - Home

A/N: Firstly, I have some bad news. I apologize for the really long author's note but I have some important stuff to address. My laptop has recently been damaged which means it might take awhile before I update the next chapter. I'm so sorry but I'll get it fixed or buy a new one as soon as I can.

Bad news aside, I'm sure there are many of you who don't know who McKenzie is. She's actually based off a character from Lost Girl whose name is Kenzi. If you've never watched that show before, you can just search "Lost Girl – Kenzi Quotes – Season 1" to roughly know how her personality is like.

I'll try not to reply to a bunch of reviews before the new chapter itself for the next few chapters; maybe just a couple. As for the other reviewers, I might reply you through my twitter account (FraesThatAgain). Other than that, this is the longest chapter thus far. Enjoy reading! :)

...

StephaniieC: Like I've said, I've written a few chapters ahead already. ;) Yes, Santana is out and proud but she is still afraid of something. The next few chapters will make you sit on the edge of your seat, I can promise you that. ;)

lexi: Yes! I am a Singaporean! As for finding Brittana fans in SG, it is definitely hard but if you try hard enough, you might be able to find one. :) Now I wonder if we have ever crossed paths before without us realizing.

/

Chapter 6 – Home

To finally be able to sit in your own apartment and not worry about anything else was hands down the best thing you could ask for besides meeting Brittany. Speaking of which, she had invited you down to the dance studio along with McKenzie and Mike to show you what she had been working on. You still had that huge grin on your face when you stepped into the said studio.

Brittany was standing in the front of the studio filled with who you assumed were her students. Seeing just how enthusiastic she was in teaching them just warmed your heart. No one had noticed you came in because the entrance was at the back of the studio. The screaming only happened when someone had seen your reflection in the mirror. You were surrounded by students in five seconds flat.

The students' faces were lit up as soon as they saw you when you took your time studying each one of them. To them, it felt like Christmas. One girl even cried when she found out that you were in the same room. You called her up and gave her the bear hug. She kept repeating that she loved you so much, and you just kept stroking her hair and acknowledging it before pulling away. The other students stood there with faces so bright, it could light up the entire room.

"Alright kids, time to give Miss Lopez some space," Brittany smiled as she slowly walked up to you. "You'll have a chance to hug her to death after class."

Loud harmonized groans came after as they dispersed and stared at you in the distance. Brittany stood in front of all of you and simply shook her head before pulling you into a group hug. As she broke the hug, she told you how much she appreciated you coming down to her studio.

Before you could even get a chance to say something, Brittany had sat you down and told you that she had a piece that she wanted to show you. She gathered her students and told them to perform something they had come up with together. You tilted you head when she said "we". The students took their positions and the smiles were replaced with serious faces the moment the song was played. It was both amazing and terrifying how focused they were while performing their routine.

The whole time they were performing, you sat there with your mouth agape. If you weren't speechless, you wouldn't know what you would be right then. Even McKenzie and Mike were impressed by the show they had put on. The smiles only came back when they wrapped up the dance. All three of you burst into a loud roar as you clapped your heart out. Amazing was an understatement.

"Great work guys," Brittany clapped and sat them down.

A student held up his hand eagerly and asked Brittany how she managed to get you to come down. He then added that it must have cost her a fortune to even get hold of you. You mentally scowled at his question but noticed how calm Brittany was as she smiled at his naivety.

"Actually, Caleb," she coughed out a laugh as she continued. "She is a close friend of mine and I danced with her on her first day of tour."

There was a mixture of reactions coming from the students. Some were in disbelief, some were commenting how cool it was. The same boy ducked his head in shame but Brittany didn't proceed to prove how wrong he was. Instead, she went up to him and rubbed both of his arms and told him that it was okay to make mistakes. You could see a small twitch in the corner of his lips which grew into a smile when Brittany pulled him into a hug.

"Alright guys, take ten," she shouted as the students spread out for their break.

Mike and McKenzie were quick to join the students and began teaching them some tips and tricks on how to improve on their routine, leaving you alone with Brittany. You held your head down shyly as Brittany stepped closer to you. You told her how amazing her routine was but she corrected you by saying it was their routine, not hers. They came up with it together. She also told you that her class was rather different from other dance classes. She didn't believe in making her students memorize what she came up with. She believed in teaching them how to work together to come up with something unique. That way, they were able to learn how to come up with ideas faster as well as work well together. It was only then that you realized how huge a role model she was to her students and how much she meant to them.

During the duration of your conversation with Brittany, you noticed how some of her students had been stealing glances at you and whispering among themselves. Mike and McKenzie also shot both of you genuine smiles whenever they were able to. You realized how enthusiastic the students were when Mike and McKenzie were teaching them.

"These students will grow up to be successful one day," Brittany interrupted, fixing her gaze at her students. "I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to teach them."

"I think they are the ones fortunate enough to have you as their teacher," you corrected.

Brittany nudged you with her elbow and let out an amused huff while eyes still fixated on her students. "You really think so?"

You turned your head slightly but just enough to see her expression before smiling slightly. You told her yes and felt like it would be a great experience for them to bond with someone who had actually been on a tour even if it was just for a day.

"Actually, I danced for Beyoncé a few years back," she boasted. "But it was nothing…"

For a moment, you were struck speechless, unable to find any words to describe how you were feeling. Beyonce had been an inspiration to you and she was why you decided to try singing. Knowing that the woman beside you had been on tour with her just blew your mind. It had always been your dream to singing with the one and only Beyoncé.

"And… I know you love her, so," she distanced away from you and toward her duffel bag.

You watched on as she rummaged through her belongings. Whatever she was finding must be so important that she wanted to show it to you. After a few quick seconds, she turned around and faced you. With her hands on her back, she walked back to you and continued her previous sentence.

"I called her up and she so happened to be in the vicinity." She stopped right in front of you. Her smile was ever so wide and her face was so lit up that you felt like it could light up the entire room. "She agreed to write you something and I was going to give you it when I had the chance to, which coincidently is right now."

She handed you a cream-coloured card accompanied by a small pink Carnation. Your already-wide smile widened even more when you saw that flower. Knowing that your idol was grateful and acknowledged your existence was the best thing you could ever hope for. You felt a tear threatening to spill and your heart melt with excitement and awe.

Who knew your homecoming would be this amazing?

After noticing how emotional you were upon receiving Beyoncé's gifts, Brittany called upon the class to gather and began chanting your name as well as Mike's and McKenzie's to perform a piece for them. You were reluctant at first but after Mike's persuasion, you gave in to peer pressure.

Apparently, Mike and the students wanted a performance to your hottest new single which to be honest, you were starting to get annoyed by but for the students' sake, you gave in and stood in position.

First eight beats later, you had lost yourself in the song. It was definitely a catchy song and when the song starts, you instantly went into a trance and just perform the choreography that came with it as prepared by your team of choreographers. You didn't even realize that Brittany had joined in on the fun and so did some of the students.

Soon, the song ended and loud cheers were heard all around the room. You didn't even realize how fast time flew when you were performing the piece. Some students were screaming at how beautiful you sounded while others were more engrossed in the brilliant choreography.

You quickly shifted your view to Brittany who was smiling broadly, not aiming it at anything in particular. Just seeing her smile made your day light up even more. Mike and McKenzie were giving each other high fives and fist bumps. The student that had offended Brittany earlier ran up to you and told you how much you rocked. As much as you hated how he acted previously, such compliments never fail to make you smile. You thanked him despite the earlier situation.

"Alright guys, let Santana Lopez breathe," Brittany finally came in. "We'll take a group photo after class."

A loud harmonized groan dragged on for a moment before it faded, mainly because they didn't get to interact with you for a while longer and also because they were promised a photo with you. It was still a win-win situation.

/

After a long but fun day at the studio, you were finally reunited with your bed again. Even though Quinn had been singing along to Madonna's Papa Don't Preach loudly and repeatedly, you were still very much at peace. The only thing that would anger you right now was Quinn barging in and running through schedules with you.

Just as you were about to doze off, the familiar sound of your ringtone started playing, scaring you in the process. Your eyebrows knitted together as you reached out for your phone but it soon disappeared when her name showed up on your screen. Instead, a smile crept up on your face.

**Brittany:** Thank you for coming down to the studio just now. The kids loved you. :)

Your smile soon spread even wider as you read the sentence. It took you quite some time to make up what you wanted to say because right now, words were just mangling up together in your head.

Eventually, you figured out what to reply her.

**Santana:** Anything for a friend. :-) Ur students r a bunch of talented & adorable kids. I wonder where they got it from… ;-)

The exhaustion you were feeling earlier was long gone the moment she first texted you.

**Brittany:** They got it from their mama, they got it from my mama! :D

Your eyes widened at that sentence. It must have been a silly typo but it still took you by surprise.

Instead of replying her back, you called her up and waited until she picks up.

"Hey stranger," she answered playfully.

"Uh… hi, um, I…" you stuttered.

Her greeting had got you all flustered, leaving you unable to make up words to say back. You heard a soft amused giggle at the end of the line before the same voice spoke again.

"Santana? Are you alright?" she asked after a long pause.

"Uh, yeah, yeah!" you shook yourself awake as you replied her in the most awkward way possible. "Um… I was, uh, you know what? It's probably nothing… so uh, I'll see you soon."

Before you got the chance to hang up, Brittany had stopped you by shouting your name through the phone. You stopped all your actions and waited to hear what she had to say.

"Ok San, c'mon tell me," she pressed.

Each time you denied, she replies you with the same sentence.

"I won't hang up unless you tell me," Brittany added. "If you hang up first, I'd call you and force it out of you. Either way, I'll still get you to tell me."

It was clear that she had won but you still wouldn't give in. Instead, you tried to prolong the wait and distract her with other things. After what seemed like forever, she still had not given up yet and you, unfortunately, had given up, figuring that if you tell her now, she would be more than contented not to touch on the topic again even if you knew that was highly unlikely.

"Fine Britt, you win!" you admitted. "You, uh, you kinda texted me that your… students… got _it_ from _your _mama."

"Annnnd?" she teased. "You're jealous 'cause they're awesome like me?"

"Hey! That's not fair!" you whined.

After a couple of fitful laughs, Brittany replied with what seemed like a fair fight. "Actually, it is. You have got fame and I've got these awesome kids. Are we even?"

She did make a point there. However, the word fame was still far from what you were comfortable with. You preferred it be called a blessing. You knew that you've said that you wanted to be famous, and now that you were, it just felt… the same; only with a few more perks than what you previously had.

Out of nowhere, you heard someone at the other end; a guy calling out Brittany's name. Brittany apologized multiple times and told you that Sam needed someone to help him get Lord Tubbington out of the toilet bowl he got stuck in and would only let her lift him out of it.

"Talk to you later," you whispered as you hang up.

You faintly smiled as you stared at your screen a while longer. You mentally cussed at her roommate for ruining your only private moment together even though it was only over the phone. Despite the interruption, you were more than contented just hearing her voice once again.

Just when you thought the interruptions were over, you heard a knock on your door. Quinn poked her head into your room and informed you about the party you were invited to the next morning. You tried forcing more information out of her but she just shrugged and smiled at you before shutting your door shut and leaving you with eyes knitted together and lips slightly parted.

You rushed toward the door and opened it before shouting down the hallway to where you thought she was, asking to tell you anything and everything she knew about the said party. Quinn still refused to reveal the details, leaving you feeling more frustrated than before. You slammed your door shut and stormed your way to your bed before belly flopping down onto your bed. You checked your phone for the last time in case Brittany had called you back after releasing Lord Tubbington out of the porcelain throne. When she hadn't, you just held on to your phone until you dozed off.

/

"Yo, LoLo, wake up!" McKenzie plummeted down beside you on the bed. "We have to shop for clothes for tonight! Wake up!"

You groaned and slapped her with your pillow before covering your face with it. You felt her tugged on your pillow, and whining about that black dress she saw in one of the stores and how badly she wanted to purchase it. The whining went on for what seemed like forever and you were all but annoyed by the irritating sound that you tore yourself out of bed and declared loss.

McKenzie's face lit up brighter than the stars and you couldn't help but smiled at how big of kid she was even though you two were only a year apart. That was something you actually liked about her.

Maybe it was true what they said, opposites really do attract.

"When did you get here?" you slurred, rubbing your eyes before putting on your prescribed glasses.

"Hmm… now minus the amount of time I took talking to Quinn and trying on some of your clothes… about an hour and a half," she said, more to herself than to you. You looked around to see that she did in fact wear some of your clothes considering that some of them were conveniently scattered across the floor. "Oh! And I ate some of your cereals… ok I lied. I ate all of it."

Your eyes widened in horror as you leaned forward and stared at her like she was some kind of creature from outer space. "You what? Cereals?! C'mon Kenzie! That was my last box!"

"Which is why I suggest we head down to the stores," she instantly added enthusiastically. "To buy clothes AND cereals!"

You rolled your eyes and smiled at how she was able to easily get you to do something you greatly didn't want to. You took in a deep breath and told her okay before standing up and dragging her by the arm. That look on her face was just priceless.

You were greeted by Quinn at the foot of the steps carrying what looked like a cup of coffee and a newspaper. She took a sip of her coffee and continued staring at the two of you as you walked past her and into the kitchen to grab the bacon she had cooked prior to you waking up because she knew you would throw tantrums if you start off your day without any food. Even though you hated bacon as much as you hated people judging you, you just ate it anyway.

Poor McKenzie was being dragged by you into the car and ordered to drive you to wherever you wanted to go. She had been whining about how it was unfair of you to have a quick breakfast while she was dragged into the car and ordered to drive _without any breakfast._

"Oh stop whining, lil mama," you rolled your eyes at her. "Weren't you the one who just told me you ate all my cereals before waking me up this morning?"

You saw a smile crept onto her face as she ducked her head down to hide the embarrassment. She admitted guilty and quickly switched topics to avoid anymore breakfast drama the two of you had been fighting about since the moment she confessed to attacking your cereal cabinet.

Once the conversation between you two had died down, you fished out your phone and saw one text message sent by the tall blonde. As always, the smile you had reserved for her spread onto your face as you opened up the text.

**Brittany:** I'm sorry abt just now. Sam & I finally got Lord Tubby out of the bowl but then, the bowl got clogged by Tubby's fur. So we've to call the plumber.

_Just now? Shit._

You checked the time it was sent and to your horror, it was sent just minutes after you dozed off. You weren't even sure if it was alright to send out a text now. McKenzie saw how stressed you looked and focused back on the road before speaking her thoughts.

"Brittany? " she simply asked.

You nodded your head and softly replied a _yeah_ to her. Your brows were knitted tightly together and your phone held loosely in your hands. McKenzie turned her head back to you for a split second and asked if everything was alright, to which you just nodded to. It was the fact; everything _was _alright… or at least you thought it was.

After losing interest to what Brittany could have sent you, McKenzie stayed silent and focused back on the road. You, on the other hand, were still heavily contemplating on whether to reply her back or just stay under the radar. The latter would be a dick move but to be honest, you did not know what to tell her if you do in fact decided to return her a text.

_How did I not have realized this text sooner? What was I doing? How would she react? Will she be upset with me?_

All those questions invaded your thoughts, making you feel even guilt-riddened than before. You toyed around with your phone for awhile longer when McKenzie finally pulled in to a stop. Just like that, you'd forgotten all about the text because McKenzie was bombing you with questions about tonight's attire and grocery list Quinn had asked her to help out with.

"Alright, Betsey Johnson or Michael Kors?" she asked in the midst of turning off the ignition.

"Um… is there an option for baggy pants and oversized sweater?" you questioned before bursting out laughing when she punched you on the shoulder. "Hahaha sorry, sorry, jeez loosen up a little would you? I was thinking somewhere along the line of edgy but still classy."

"Betsey Johnson?" McKenzie asked, sounding a little unsure at first.

You thought about other possible choices. Betsey Johnson was alright but something about the style just wasn't right

for you. It could be the too edgy and not much of classy. Then, it came to you.

"Emilio Pucci!"

"Well… Emilio Pucci it is," she said chirpily as she got out of the car. "Any ideas of how it would look like or anything?"

Let's just say you had it all planned out awhile ago. Emilio Pucci's sequined mini dress that you've been eyeing for a few weeks was the only thing you could think of when it comes to feeling laid back but still keep that sexy, hot look, especially for a night out at the club Quinn had planned for you.

You shot McKenzie a look with a smirk and an eyebrow arched so high, it could only mean one thing. "I've got just what I want in mind."

There was no way in hell you could get Emilio Pucci anywhere in the United States, making everything a lot more harder for you but with the strings you had, you could just pull any of them and the dress, if God's willing, would be here in a snap.

You took out your phone and dialed for Quinn. You prayed to God or whoever was willing to help you at that moment for the dress to be readily available in the US, if not in Los Angeles.

"Hello?" Quinn asked, not thoroughly interested in what you were about to say.

"Hey Q, I need your help," you started. "I need you to get Emilio Pucci to sponsor me his sequined mini dress you know I've been eyeing for the past couple of months. And I need it by tonight. Please call me back if you've got it."

"Oh-ho, I'm way ahead of you Lopez," she laughed.

You thanked her and hung up right after. Quinn always has a way of getting ahead of you. It was like she knew everything there is to know about you and sometimes, it is a blessing. You turned around to McKenzie and gave her the I've-got-this-covered look before grabbing her arm and dragging her into the mall for a shoe hunt. Something as casual yet classy as the dress would go well, if not perfect. Not to mention it being paired with a pair of leather Jimmy Choo pumps.

/

Approximately an hour of shoe hunting, and the rest of the morning touring the entire mall and grabbing lunch, both of you were out of the mall. Surprisingly, there were not a lot of humans surrounding you while you were there. There was something about living in LA and being surrounded by a lot of celebrities that made the LA settlers act that way which to you, was a blessing. To finally be somewhere without people mobbing you everywhere you go have allowed you some space to breathe.

Time was ticking down and you had not heard from Quinn about the dress yet which made you panicky a bit. Trying not to sound desperate, you decided not to call her and just hope for the best once you get home. Worse come worst, you would not have anything to wear with the shoes you had just bought. Okay, maybe not considering you had a closetful of other dresses you could wear but come on, you had to make an entrance; that was a very Santana Lopez thing to do.

McKenzie noticed the worry in your face and stopped on her tracks. She turned to you and grabbed you by the arm, stopping you from proceeding any further. She shot you a caring but curious look which signaled you to tell her what was on your mind but as usual, you just shrugged it off.

"Come on, San," the disappointed look on her face assured you that she didn't want to play around anymore. "I know something's really bothering you and I know you don't want to share it with me but come on, you'll have to tell me sooner or later or you'll explode eventually. And I don't want that to happen to you, not a fucking chance. So let me ask you once again as a friend, what is bothering you?"

You took in a deep breath and try to put together what you wanted to tell her. You thought briefly because some stuff was meant to be kept private. You looked up at her and threw her a faint smile.

"It's nothing, I was just wondering if the dress is well taken care of," you shrugged. "You know, 'cause Quinn hadn't call me back and stuff."

She nodded and waited for you to continue. You knew for a fact that she was trying to push you to tell her about what happened earlier in the car. You knew she wanted to know what happened between you and Brittany. It looked like things wouldn't proceed any further until you tell her about Brittany.

"Okay, about this morning," you took in a deep breath before continuing. "Brittany texted me yesterday but I only realized it this morning… and then I felt like such a douche if I were to reply her then but now I feel more of a douche for not replying her back. So now I don't know what to do."

"Wow, Lopez," she chuckled out a fake laugh and applaud. "Just what every girl loves, for someone not to reply when you sent out a text. Just perfect."

"What the fuck, Kenz?" you shouted. "You asked me to pursue on and now you're blaming me for not replying back? What kind of a fucking friend are you?"

You threw up your hands and stomped away from her. You tried to calm yourself down but nothing seemed to work. Your head was throbbing with anger.

"Santana, wait, Santana," McKenzie called. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me. C'mon, I didn't mean it, I just blew up. I'm sorry."

"Just bring me home," you said quietly, not bothering to look her in the eye.

/

The ride back to your apartment complex was not only intense and awkward, it was driving you insane, especially when McKenzie gripped the life out of the steering wheel and gritted her teeth.

_What was wrong with her?_

Once you pulled in to the private garage behind your ground level apartment unit, you got out of the car in an instant and stood by the door as you waited for McKenzie to get out of the vehicle.

She exited the car and locked eyes with you over the car. Her brows immediately knitted together in question and mentally asked you what the hell you were trying to hint on. You shuffled on your feet and nervously wiped the droplets of sweat on the back of your neck. Who knew inquiring something would be so nerve-wrecking?

"Um, about just now," you paused, trying to think of a nicer way to say it. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry for being such a whiny bitch. I shouldn't have made it such a huge deal, you know, about Brittany and Quinn."

She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, keeping her eyes close before locking them back onto yours. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have snapped on you. Maybe Brittany would understand… maybe she knows you were hands-tied at the moment. I suggest you call her up to clear up the air but that's up to you."

You stayed silent for the next minute but the eye contact between the two of you was now broken. You stared at the ground and cursed yourself not to breakdown. It would only prove to people that you were not strong enough mentally as you were physically.

"C'mon San, I'm sorry okay?" she said. "Santana, look, what I said was stupid and I'm truly sorry. C'mon man, you're my bestie for life! And I would not let anything come across that. I love you, man. And I'm sorry."

You could no longer contain the emotions and your eyes were starting to sting. Not long after, you felt a tear threatening to dampen your cheek. Your lips were already starting to tremble and your body was already shaking. McKenzie noticed the change in behaviour and whatever that happened before was forgotten as she stepped around the car and over to you.

"Awe honey, honey, I'm sorry," she cooed, hugging you and allowing you to rest your head on her shoulder and cry. "It's okay, everything's gonna be alright. C'mon, let's head inside and get you cleaned up."

Once inside, McKenzie looped her arm around yours and guided you up to your room. But the moment you stepped into the living room, you were greeted by Quinn on her phone running errands like she always does. When she saw your puffy face, she stopped whatever she was doing and rushed up to you.

Her worried eyes and questioning face were all it took to get her the answer she wanted but thankfully, McKenzie only told her half the truth because the other half would earn the both of you some lecture you never wanted to have.

After what seemed like an hour of "Santana, are you okay" and "what exactly happened" later, she finally let go of the two of you. McKenzie continued guiding you back to your room and into your personal bathroom. Quinn stood at the threshold making sure you were truly alright. You would have laugh at the gesture by now but with all the emotions washing over you at the moment, you decided to appreciate it for once.

"I know this has got nothing to do with what you are dealing with now, Santana," Quinn stated. "But I just got off on the phone with Emilio Pucci's assistant and it so happens that they have a number of dresses stored away in Beverly Hills. Here's the best part, they have that sequined mini dress you've been eyeing."

You immediately looked up and stared at your reflection in the mirror for a moment to register what had been told to you. The dress was here. The dress was really here! You face instantly lit up as you turned around and faced Quinn. Without a word, you ran up to her and awarded her with a bear hug and a peck on the cheek before telling her how amazing of a friend she was.

McKenzie threw her two thumbs up and from what you could see, she looked like she had just got an elephant had been lifted off her shoulder. She leaned back against the counter and watched on as you did your little celebratory dance in the middle of the bathroom. What made it even funnier was that your face was still puffy from the earlier crying which also not only made your face a few shade redder, it also ruined whatever makeup you had on.

"Alright champ, let's get you cleaned up and let's all drive down to Beverly Hills to pick up your dress," McKenzie chuckled.

"You two go, I have lots to do," Quinn said. "Oh, and tell the shop owner that Emilio Pucci had set aside your sequined dress for you by the name of Lopez."

McKenzie signaled an okay sign over her shoulder as she pushed you into the showers to rid of all the stickiness you had obtained over the period of time before walking out with Quinn and shutting the door shut for your own privacy. You smiled stupidly as you took your time cleaning after yourself and whatever negativity that had bothered you minutes before was now gone. At least some things went according to plan.

The ride there wasn't as awkward or intense as it was previously but there was still some uncomfortable silence between you and McKenzie. Every time either of you wanted to say something, something else just prevented you from doing so. It was like there was a senior librarian sitting at the backseat, eyeing you two like a hawk and treating the car itself as a library.

McKenzie had loosened up a little. The death stare she shot you earlier was long gone and the tight grip on the wheel had been replaced with her drumming on it. As annoying it was, you were at least a little relieved knowing that she wasn't as mad at you as she was before.

You stared down at your fingers which were fidgeting with the seatbelt, trying to ignore the obvious awkward silence that filled the area. You felt the car slowed down a little and looked up to find both of you stuck in the usual LA traffic at lunch. You heard McKenzie audibly sigh upon slowing down and looked at her as if expecting some profanities to shoot out of her whenever something like this happened. But it never did come. Instead, she ducked her head down before facing directly at you. You managed to see the twitch at the corners of her mouth before you faced away to avoid any awkward eye contact.

"Santana," she spoke softly. The anger that used to be there was now replaced with concern and care. "I noticed how tense you were. I know I was partly the fault and again, I am sorry."

_Here comes the concerned McKenzie talk._ You thought to yourself.

"I just want the best for my bestie which would answer why I snapped at you earlier. I also know that you don't like to have this _talk_ so I will leave you with one last say before we put all this behind us, alright? Do what you feel is best, not what you think it would be best. Alright, let's go get your dress."

You tightly smiled at her but still not strong enough to look her in the eye. You were studying your hands during that talk but the words spoken were definitely carefully listened to. She was right; you'd have to admit it. She was just looking out for you even though you might not have seen it.

You were not as stubborn this time when you had the McKenzie talk. Maybe it was because you were finally listening to what she had to say and not just hear it.

The rest of the slow journey to Beverly Hills mainly consisted of you rereading the text messages you had sent to and received from Brittany, and empty talks about the weather with McKenzie. The dress loaned to you by Emilio Pucci did not disappoint either. Hell, they even loaned you a short leather shorts that went well with the dress.

Back in the car, McKenzie was now all smiles and giggles which in return, put you in a great mood. She even treated you some Starbucks on the way home. God only knew how badly you needed your caffeine fix that afternoon.

The moment you opened the door to your apartment, you were greeted by Quinn in her blue sundress and cute hairdo which she mentioned was going to be the dress she was going to wear to the party. Whatever expectations of the party you previously had was greatly reduced when you saw her in that simple outfit. Then, you remembered that she was Quinn Fabray, the person who would wear a sundress even to a paintball tournament, and you immediately rethink of those expectations you previously had.

"Well, well Fabray," you complimented. "Looking great! Blue this time huh? I wonder what will be the next colour on your list."

"Shut up, Santana," she feigned hurt. "Oh, and I'm driving you to Drai's in an hour."

"Wait, Drai's?" you knitted your brows together. "Oh hell girl, we needs to get you a new outfit."

Without waiting for Quinn's response, you pulled her into her room along with McKenzie following suite and searched for the most suitable dress you could find from the grandmother's wardrobe of hers. You almost gave up the search when all you could find were dresses like the one she was wear, when something caught your eyes.

As you pulled out the outfit, an emerging smile broadcasted on your face. There it was, the perfect outfit. A skin-tight leather pants and a white buttoned up collared top that hipster girls always wear. You hadn't seen her wear that outfit in almost half a decade. Ignoring Quinn's protests, you shoved the outfit to her and demanded her to change into it.

Your jaw almost touched the ground when Quinn came out of the bathroom. You missed how amazing she used to look when she used to wear pants. Now you never fail to see her in dresses. McKenzie on the other hand expressed her reactions verbally with a loud "Oh my god! You look hot!" which made Quinn all shy. You didn't let a word out because you couldn't. She was indeed beautiful in that outfit.

"Alright, I'll wait for you in the car," Quinn informed as she shyly made her way to the backdoor leading to the private garage.

You sent McKenzie to change into her outfit while you did last minutes check on what you were supposed to bring before heading to the garage. It took her a quarter of an hour to change and another quarter to do her hair and makeup which in your opinion, was a record for her.

"Drai's, here we come!" McKenzie cheered as she entered the car in her gothic punk rock get-up.

Thank god Quinn decided to get out of the house early because with the LA traffic, it would have taken you at least an hour to get there. In order to keep the gang entertained, McKenzie came up with a boring yet brilliant idea of playing I Spy before it immediately turned into a dance party when Stay the Night by Zedd featuring one of McKenzie's favourite rock chick, Hayley Williams of Paramore played on the radio. With such a catchy house song, it was impossible not to move your body.

You reached the location earlier than the opening hours of the club which only meant you had to wait another three hours before you could even get in. Since Quinn had been in her cave the entire day, all of you made your way to the small café in Silver Lake. It wasn't a long journey, especially if you had to make your way back to Hollywood Boulevard. It was also Quinn's favourite place to unwind or grab a quick lunch.

Being at Intelligentsia did not help your with your incognito as a handful of your fans heard about you dropping by the café and wanted to get a closer view of you. And Quinn made it even more inevitable since she suggested sitting at their open air area. For the next half an hour, both McKenzie and Quinn were trying hard to muffle their laughter every time a fan walked up to you for a picture or an autograph.

After spending almost two hours lounging there and a call Quinn had to take, you were finally back in the car and to the club. Quinn had pulled up outside the location and immediately made another call. You wondered why she was always on the phone, even when you were about to party rest of the night away. Once she had gotten off the phone, she kindly asked you to follow her to the entrance along with McKenzie.

Since it was an organized event, you had to walk down a mini red carpet outside the club because the press wanted a couple of photos of you going to the event. After being blinded by the bright lights, you were escorted in by a very well-dressed Kurt with his plus one who you remembered seeing on the first week of your first tour. The triangle-browed, heavily gelled hair boy smiled back at you enthusiastically as Kurt linked his arm with his.

"Santana, meet Blaine Anderson," Kurt enthusiastically introduced his plus one. "Blaine, Santana Lopez."

Blaine gentlemanly reached out for your hand and kissed the back of it. For a gay guy, he was definitely a favourite amongst the girls.

"Haven't we met before?" you asked, tilting your head to one side. "I think we met in one of my fanmeets."

He took a moment to recall and nodded when he remembered. By the time the conversation died off, you were already inside and at the bar alone. You ordered your usual Old-Fashioned and spun around in your chair to watch the attendees after the bartender had given you your drink.

Suddenly, you caught a glimpse of a very familiar blonde hair standing in the middle of the crowd. You instantly sat upright and tried to get a better look on the blonde. Apparently, she didn't come alone. Another blonde was holding her at the waist, making it look like he was her date.

The moment she turned toward your direction, you dropped everything you were doing and sat there with eyes opened wide. Brittany was here. Brittany was with another guy. A guy who was holding her by the waist.

More importantly, Brittany S. Pierce was here. At your party. Staring back at you with the same wide eyes. Brittany was here.


	7. Chapter 7 - Heart To Heart

A/N: Finally the time has come! I personally enjoyed writing and reading this chapter. This chapter was the whole reason why I wanted to write this fic and it was planned way back in April. I hope you'll like it as much as I did writing it. Thank you for the kind reviews! They made me want to complete this story. So thank you and review if you want to! :)

/

Chapter 7 – Heart to Heart

Brittany was here, standing in direct view in front of you. With another blonde guy.

You didn't know exactly how you felt when you saw that. Was it jealousy? Was it surprise? You didn't know. All you knew at that moment was that she had a date and you don't. The Old-Fashioned in your hand was long forgotten the moment you saw them.

You could have sworn you saw how guilt-ridden she was when she saw you see her with him. Brittany just stood there in the middle of the dance floor still holding on to the guy but not as tightly as when you first saw them. You could see that she was contemplating on whether to let go or just keep holding because judging from your expression, she could have thought that you were also confused about everything.

However, she soon let go of him and awkwardly placed her hands in front her. The guy turned to her and spoke some indistinct words to which she awkwardly nodded and gave a tight smile to. You were expecting him to at least give a peck on the cheek before he walked away but it never happened. He only patted her back lightly before walking off to meet the other attendees.

By now, you had already turned around in your chair and ordered a Manhattan. You also knew that she would walk up to you in a few, most probably to tell you who that mystery blonde was. When your drink came, you did not instantly sip on it but began playing with the cherry in it. You were so concentrated on swirling the cherry in the glass that you did not realized that Brittany was standing next to you.

"Hey," she shyly greeted.

You looked up at her and just plastered a tight smile on your face, not sure if your brain was functioning properly to form words. She asked you if the seat next to you was taken and you just shook your head, not even looking at her but staring at your drink. Brittany could feel the awkwardness surrounding the both of you as she sat down.

"Why didn't you reply my text?" she asked, sounding a little upset but not wanting to hear the actual reason to why you did not reply her.

You simply shrugged your shoulders and immediately threw her back a question. "Who was that guy?"

"Santana," she dragged your name out, sounding a little exasperated. "Sam's my roommate."

"_Who_ is he?" you repeated, this time demanding the exactly relations she had with him.

"He's just my friend, c'mon San, why are you being like this?" she replied.

You refused to answer her question because honestly, you yourself didn't know why you were acting like that. All you think you know was you had a stupid little crush on her that might have grown over the period of time. Brittany let out an audible sigh before standing up and walking back to the dance floor since you did seem like you were going to answer anytime soon.

McKenzie suddenly appeared right next to you shouting excitedly over the speakers about how there was a pool at the back. Still feeling a little upset about the earlier situation with Brittany, you just threw McKenzie a tight smile and a small nod. You told her to hit the pool if she wanted to which made her all excited like a five year old and left you alone at the bar thinking about what had just happened.

Then, you heard your name over the same speakers that were blasting some hip hop music and also a few of your tracks. The DJ called you up onto the stage to give a short speech and also congratulate you on your success in the music industry. The crowd had been cheering on you since the moment you stepped on stage until you were off it. There was also a huge cake just for you in front of the stage. Apparently, Quinn was the one responsible for the event and surprises that were in store.

It was definitely a surprise for sure.

"So? How'd you like the party?" Quinn approached you with a couple of drinks, handing one of them out to you.

"Perfect," you said solemnly. "Thank you, Quinn. I really appreciate all you've done for me."

You stepped forward and gave her a hug. After pulling away, she told you to have fun as she walked away to join your other gay best friend with his plus one. You were still wondering how and why he chose that Blaine guy whom you first met on tour. Apparently, you were able to find love even on the weirdest of places, in his case, your tour.

You were left all by yourself again but this time, one the dance floor, scanning the crowd for any familiar faces. But Brittany's roommate who if you recalled correctly, was seen in one of your video calls with Brittany, was standing diagonally tin front of you. No surprises Brittany was there in his arm. You felt your jealousy grow even stronger as you observed how adoringly he held her. Part of you wanted to snatch Brittany away from him but the other part of you felt like they were perfect for each other, no matter how much you wished you were him.

/

The party was little too noisy for you and people were getting way too drunk that they began groping you left and right. Having had enough of it, you made your way out of the club and stood on the sidewalk for a moment, trying to clear your mind before heading back in. You reached into your purse and took out a pack of cigarettes. Fitting one in between your index and middle fingers, you put the pack away and retrieved a lighter from the bottom your purse to light the stick.

A few puffs later, you heard the door behind you opened followed by the loud music from inside the club. Not bothering to turn around to see who it was, you continued puffing on the stick and resting your left arm over your right. You felt something grab your shoulder and your first instinct was to burn the skin of that creep on your shoulder with the lit cigarette.

Fortunately for that so-called creep, they didn't receive a burn mark but as for you, a moment of embarrassment washed over you. You stood facing the person but your eyes were transfixed to the rough concrete beneath your feet. You face was a few shades redder by now.

"Santana, I saw you leave just now," that person said with anxious eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just had to get some air," you replied, dropping what's left of the cigarette stick to the ground before stomping on it. "You should probably get back in and enjoy the party, Britt."

"C'mon San," she sounded a little disappointed at how you were acting. "How about we go for a drive so we can get some fresher air and maybe get to talk about it? Besides, I was starting to get a little claustrophobic in there."

You offered her a tight smile and let her lead you to her car. You were not even sure if she should be driving but who knows? Maybe she didn't have any drinks or at least not enough to make her feel buzzed which was definitely illegal in this country. How was she able to stay so sober at a club? It was totally against the purpose of going there. But enough with the worry, you just went along with that blonde.

When you reached her car, you were more than impressed by the car model, let alone the convertible top. Brittany happened to see you staring at it as if a head just grew on the car and made funny faces at you.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?" Brittany interrupted. "My dad left me this before he passed on. It's a 1989 Chevrolet Camaro Z28. I repainted it to give it more of an edge."

"He left you this?" you asked. You couldn't quite believe how someone would pass on such a prized possession. Well, in Brittany's case, it was understandable. "It's gorgeous. It must have cost a fortune."

"It did and if I were to sell this now," she continued. "Who knows how much I'll make off this? But of course, I'd be stupid to even think of selling it. It's the only thing he left me."

You didn't know how to reply to that so you just kept quiet and waited for her to continue. You could clearly tell that this car had been with her dad for a really long time just by looking at the scratches and small dents. Brittany had it repainted black with blue stripes and probably got it modified because you could barely hear the engine when she ignited it.

She didn't continue the conversation though. You cleared your throat quietly to grab her attention away from the car for a while. She looked at you curiously but adoringly as she waited for you to continue. You giggled nervously at her and your hand rubbing the back of your neck, trying to think of a polite way of asking her what had been on her mind since she suggested to for a ride.

"Are you sure this is legal?" you asked.

Brittany frowned in confusion, clearly not catching what you were trying to say.

"I mean, you obviously must have had a couple of drinks," you clarified.

"Drinks? No, Santana," she giggled. "I hadn't had anything other than some boring cola and a few energy shots. And I drove here; I don't think I'd want to leave my baby here while someone else sends me home."

"Can't your roommate drive you home? And doesn't that kind of beats the whole purpose of going to clubs?" you tilted your head to the side and frowned at Brittany.

"Sam? Driving my baby? Not a chance."

She didn't give an answer to the other question. Instead, she directed you into the vehicle and mentioned something about holding on tight.

The moment she stepped on the gas pedal, you jerked back. When she said to hold on tight, she really did mean to hold on tight. You laid a death grip on both sides of the seat and threw a terrified look at her. Brittany just giggled in her seat with both hands firmly placed on the wheel. The smirk on her face sent shivers down your spine.

What could possibly be going through that blonde's mind? Why was she driving like she's in a race? And what's with the smug smirk on her face?

You prolonged the stare until she made another quick turn, causing you to shift abruptly in your seat.

"Jesus, Brittany!" you screamed. "Why are you speeding and where are we going?"

"Somewhere," she stole a glance at you before focusing back on the road. "And it's fun… to speed once in a while."

Your jaw dropped upon her response and the thought in your head was verbally released; something about breaking the speed limit and the involvement with the police. Brittany just shrugged and told you that there was a relatively slim chance of getting pulled over on the road you were taking. Fair enough since you were practically in the middle of nowhere on a late Friday night.

It was not for another fifteen minutes that she finally drove to a stop. You were literally in the middle of nowhere by now and to be honest; it was kind of giving you the creeps. She shut off the engine and stepped out of the vehicle. She leaned back on the hood of her Chevrolet and stared into the far distance.

You followed behind and propped yourself onto the hood right next to her, looking at where Brittany had been staring at for the past two minutes. There was nothing significant to look at but something told you that the place itself meant something significant to her. Not wanting to disturb the peaceful atmosphere, you just sat there in silence.

"My dad used to bring us here when we were younger," she said softly, almost inaudible. "He used to speed down this road in this car and the sound the old engine never failed to make us smile."

You could hear the smile in her tone but there was a pinch of sadness hidden in it. You pulled your knees up to your chest and wrapped your arms around them. There were no cars in sight and the road was only lit up by a few tall lamp posts that were widely spread away from each other. The noises the crickets made, however annoying they could be, were very calming at this very moment.

"Us?" you asked.

"My sister and I," Brittany looked down at her knees, smiling. "We used to be very close until Hayley moved to New York to enroll in Julliard and found cooler friends there, while I got admitted into MIT."

You were amazed when she told you about where she studied in but this did not seem like the right time to tell her how impressed you were. You turned your head slightly to the left where Brittany was sitting and her expression made your heart swell. You could see how much she missed her sister and how she wished that things were like they were before.

"What happened?" you encouraged her to continue. She looked up at you with a timid smile spread across her face but quickly disappeared as soon as it came on.

"I don't know… and I don't feel like talking about it just yet," she sighed as she shook off whatever negative energy she had on and inverted her frown. "Enough about my depressing life, tell me about yours."

Truthfully, you were a little surprised at the question. Never in your life had anyone willingly asked you to tell them your story. Of course there were little bits of information floating around about you and your life but you had never told anyone the real story. You hugged your knees closer to your torso, and took in a deep breath and admired the scenery before you.

"Well, my mum's a jazz singer and my dad works in a hospital back in Ohio," you squeezed your eyes shut to hopefully try and recall your childhood memories. "I'm the only child so yeah; they kinda spoilt me as a kid. My abuela kinda hates me but I don't really know why…"

You lied. You knew exactly why she hated you. It was because you came out to her right before dinner while you were still in high school and from then on, she had disowned you as her only granddaughter. Of course you didn't tell Brittany that; there's a possibility that she might find the whole lesbian thing weird and maybe try to avoid you.

But your intuition told you that she wouldn't do that. You don't know how but you just knew. You were scared of what might possibly happen if you told her the whole truth. The whole truth could very well ruin your friendship. This might explain why you refused to tell anyone your life story. The only person that knew about it was Quinn.

Brittany hummed at your story but she seemed distracted by the road in front of her. You took a risk and shifted closer to her that your left shoulder was brushing with her right. You heard Brittany take in a sharp inhale of breath before exhaling it out and at the same time, relaxing her muscles. You were unsure how she felt at first but when you saw a small smile on her face, you started to loosen up a little.

Brittany's attention was now shifted to her lap and the crease between her brows were making you worry a little. You wanted to know what was bothering her but you didn't want to pry. So you just sat there and enjoy the silence.

It was not until two minutes later that Brittany began to talk.

"You're a good woman, Santana," her head was still tilted down and her face was expressionless. "Sometimes people just need to remind you that."

You were slightly confused by what she was trying to convey and waited for her to elaborate. When she didn't, you tried to think of ways to prolong the conversation. It was a little harder than it seemed so you settled on a really simple reply.

"You really think so?" you smiled, eyes searching for hers.

She hummed in confirmation and faced up to stare back into the far distant. Another moment of silence filled the air. It wasn't the awkward kind but more of a comfortable one.

Ten minutes soon turned into an hour and you were still soaking up the beauty of the scene in front of you. Brittany's head was now resting on your shoulder. She seemed to be distracted by her own thoughts. You angled your head slightly to look at her in the eye.

"Hey, what's wrong?" you softly asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I just… really miss my family… my dad."

"It's gonna be okay," you wrapped your left arm around her and gently squeezed her into you.

Both of you sat there in silence for another eight minutes before Brittany decided that she has had enough of reflecting on life and planned on sending you home before Quinn begins to think that you've been kidnapped or something.

/

You were not exactly sure how she knew where you were staying but you found it rather sweet of her to send you straight back home so you wouldn't have to deal with the expensive taxi fares or paparazzi swarming you in the middle of the street after seeing some hot blonde bringing you somewhere in her car just outside the club.

Brittany had pulled over on the side of the road just outside your apartment complex – not so fancy for a celebrity but both you and Quinn had been looking at other properties that you could move into in the years (if not months) ahead. She seemed a little troubled from the looks of her tight grip on the wheel. Her eyes were still transfixed on the road in front of her. You knew something had been bothering her. It might have been the little trip to the road in the middle of nowhere.

You cleared your throat to break the tension and offered her a weak smile. That was the first time you saw her this fragile even though she hid it so well behind that fake smile. It broke your heart just seeing her in the most vulnerable of states.

"I better get going," you pointed your thumb over your shoulder to your apartment complex. "Please text me when you get home… so I know you're safe."

Brittany didn't say a word but instead, nodded in agreement. Her grip tightened causing her knuckles had turned slightly white.

It pained you to see her like this. You would kill to see her all happy, and talking about unicorns and rainbows again.

As you got out of the car, you made sure to give her another smile before waving her a goodbye. She only returned a nod before sighing and driving off.

You watched on until her car had disappeared off into the distance and stayed on for a little while to understand and figure out what was happening in her life.

Knowing that you couldn't do anything at that moment, you fished your phone from your purse and checked for texts or anything that could distract you from your previous thoughts. You were not surprised to find a few texts from Quinn and one from Kurt.

**Quinn: **Where are you?

**Quinn:** Santana, call me when you get this.

**Kurt: **Hey Santana, thanks for the invite! The party was a blast but I'm bummed I couldn't find you anywhere. Congrats btw! Awesome night!

You sent out a quick text to him before scrolling down to more of Quinn's texts.

**Quinn: **saaaan, wgere arr yoi

It made you smile a little at Quinn's drunk texts.

**Quinn:** GUES WAT?! TIS CUUUTE BOY JUZ ASKE ME OUT! SCOREEEE! CALLL ME BAK!

**Quinn:** UGHHHHH! WHTEVR. CUTE BLNODE SENT ME HOEM N IM ON THE COCH. DON'T CAL ME!

That was all of Quinn's texts. It seemed like she had given up on noting about your whereabouts. You stood outside your apartment and fished out the keys to it. As you inserted the key into the keyhole, you found out that the door wasn't even locked, causing you to panic a little.

"Quinn, why didn't you lock that door?" you carefully stepped into the apartment, making sure that there were no other uninvited guests. "Hello? Quinn?"

You entered the living room and found her lying motionless on the couch like she said she was. Not wanting to bother her, you quietly tiptoed into the kitchen to get her a glass of water with an Advil just in case she suffers from a hangover the following day. You carefully put the items down on the coffee table next to the couch. You went into her room in search of a blanket before walking back into the living room with one to tuck her in.

You just stood there staring at your best friend's sleeping form and how relaxed she looked. A smile soon crept onto your face when she stirred in her sleep. You softly whispered out _sleep well_ to her as you walked away from the living room and to your room. Halfway to your room, you heard a muffled _thanks_ coming from her. You simply smiled at the response before continuing your walk.

Once in your room, you couldn't help but think of what Brittany had said to you. She just laid her emotions out in front of you like it was nothing but you knew for a fact that she was hurting inside when she told you about her life. The only thing her dad left her was the Camaro. You couldn't quite possibly put a finger to how she must have felt when she heard the devastating news. The longer you thought about it, the more it was starting to hurt you. For the first time in a long while, you were felt how it feels to be so connected to someone.

Then you remembered how bitchy you were when you asked her about who Sam was. You knew for a fact that they had been living together since Brittany had graduated from college and moved to LA with Sam because she told you that over one of the many calls you two had been sharing. You retrieved your phone out of your purse and scrolled down to her name before sending an apology text to her.

You honestly had no idea what was going through your mind when it happened. Brittany was probably the only person you did not want to show your ugly side to but now it was too late. Ever since then, Brittany had been acting tensed around you, especially what happened in the car. The story about her family might have also made her act that way.

Your phone vibrated in your hand and you found a new message from Brittany. All it said was "It's okay". You knew then that you had totally messed up. You decided to give another go at apologizing to her.

**Santana:** I know u're mad abt how I acted earlier and I'm really sorry. I messed up. Text me when u get home, k?

A text never did come after the last one you sent out. It made you worry a little because you knew that Brittany lived close to Drai's. She should have been home by now. It was either she went for another drive or still felt angry toward you.

/

You felt your phone vibrated continuously by your head while you were asleep and answered whoever was trying to get hold of you in the wee hours of the morning. In your raspy voice, you spoke to the person on the other end of the line.

"Are you Santana?" asked a man.

You pulled your ear away from the receiver and looked at the caller id. You found yourself frowning when it turned out to be Brittany's but it was a man who was speaking to you. You croaked out a yes but not the usual confident yes, more like an unsure one.

"Are you a close friend or relative of Brittany Pierce?"

This time, all the sleep had been washed away from you. You sat upright and pressed your phone closer to your ear as you repeated your answer clearer and anxiously this time round.

"Brittany is in the emergency room right now," he informed you before proceeding to tell you the name of the hospital.

"What happened to her? Did she get in a car accident?" you screamed out into the phone. "Is she okay?!"

The caller did not answer any of your questions but told you to head down there as soon as possible. Without further ado, you wore a cardigan that was hanging on one of your bedposts and headed out your room. You grabbed Quinn's car key that was sitting by your coffee table in the living room and left the apartment.

On your way to the car, you sent out a quick text to Quinn informing her of your loan of her car and also of what happened to Brittany, not that you know the actual cause. You pressed the unlock button on the remote and got into the car, twisting the already inserted key to run the engine.

When you reached there and had parked safely, you immediately rushed into the Accidents & Emergency waiting area and threw a bunch of questions at the poor obviously-exhausted nurse at the customer service counter. It was only until someone stopped you from further blurting out questions to the nurse. You turned around, ready to shout at whoever dared to stop you when you saw who it was.

"Sam?" you said, a little dumbfounded at first but soon remembered that he was Brittany's roommate. "Brittany? What happened to Brittany? Is she okay?"

"She's still in the operating room," he answered, resting his hand on your shoulder to try and assure you that she was alright. "I haven't heard anything yet but let's keep our hopes up."

"What happened to her?!" you demanded, voice trembled a little.

"She… I found her on her bed with… with a bottle of sleeping pills in her hand," he paused. "That was when I got home. She must have overdosed on them and then I called the paramedics who then called the first person on her call log which was… you."

You stepped away from the counter and toward the sofas. You sat yourself down and buried your face in your hands, saying that it was your fault. You didn't know why you were pinning the fault on yourself but because of that incident, you felt like you were the main cause for Brittany's admission.

"I shouldn't have gotten mad at her," you spoke, more to yourself than to Sam. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

Sam inched closer to you and squeezed your shoulder. "Don't think that way."

You stared at him for awhile, sensing that there was more to the sentence than what had already been said. You saw him opened his mouth as if he was going to say something but then he closed it after leaving it open for too long. Instead, he double patted your shoulder before leaving a space between the two of you.

The media somehow figured where you were and were blocking the entry to the building but was stopped from entering. Your phone had been flooded with Quinn's calls and text about why you were there and that the media had been trying to contact her. You told her about Brittany being admitted to the hospital but refused to give the details.

"_You seem awfully close to Brittany lately, what's up with that?_" Quinn asked.

"Can't I even make friends? God, now you're trying to tell me who I should and shouldn't be friends with?" you threw your head back in anger.

"_I am not, and for the record, I'm just looking out for you_," Quinn interjected. "_I don't want what happened in eleventh grade to happen to you again!_"

You felt your heart ached upon the hearing about those memories. "Wow, Quinn. Just wow. I'm here worrying about a friend and you're just being a bitch." you lowered your voice.

You started sniffling and your lips were already trembling. All this while, you thought you were over that incident. And all this while, you thought Quinn would never reopen those wounds again. You were awfully wrong.

You heard Quinn apologizing but you were too distraught to listen to her. You slowly lowered the phone away from your ear and rested it on your lap. Quinn was still on the line apologizing when you hit the red button. You stared at the phone for awhile longer, unable to believe what had just happened. Barely a minute later, a new call from Quinn went through you phone. You let ring until she dropped the call. The whole time it rang, you were staring at your phone with tears flowing down your face.

Sam seemed to have seen the emotional mess you were in because he sat beside you and handed you a packet of tissue. You looked at him and attempted to put on a smile but failed miserably because every time you tried, your smile quickly inverted and more tears started flowing. Unable able to contain anymore of the sadness, you broke down. Sam panicked for a second but he soon did what you needed, he pulled you close to him and let your head rest on his shoulder. He wasn't bothered by the tears that had damped his shirt or the eyeliner that had left black splotches on it. He just held you close and let you cry the sadness away.

You felt him stroking your hair and shushing your down as he whispered that it was okay like it's a mantra. Soon, you were able to pull yourself back together and away from him. Smiling was a lot easier this time. You apologized for any mess you've made to which he just dusted it off like it was nothing. You managed to mumble out a thank you before sitting back in your original position.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he simply asked.

You could hear the concern in his voice which was also accompanied by care. You shook your head and threw him another smile. As you two were sitting awkwardly beside each other, you were reminded of your impression of him when he attended that party with Brittany by his side. The impression that he was not someone you'd like to be around with just because Brittany was his plus one. But now, a new impression had been made. Sam turned out to be one of the sweetest guys you've met and for him to let you break down in his arm like that was more than what any girl could ask for.

Out of nowhere, you heard a strangely familiar voice calling out your name. You turned behind and there she was, standing at the customer service counter, Quinn. She rushed up to you and grabbed both of your hands, asking if you were alright. Before you could even answer, Sam had spoken for you.

"She's okay, I guess she's just really worried about Brittany," he smiled sweetly.

Quinn turned her head to the right and froze for a moment. "S-Sam? Wh-what are you doing here?"

You tried to make sense of what was happening between them and more importantly, how Quinn knew his name. You saw how awkward they were acting in the presence of each other, making you feel even more uncomfortable.

"Brittany's my roommate," he replied.

You heard an "_oh"_ coming from Quinn before it was continued with something else. "Um… I see."

She then turned to you to check on how you were doing but you stopped her from going any further. Instead, you shot her with a question. "I assume that cute blonde was Sam?"

You saw her tilted her head down and let go of your hands. It couldn't get any more awkward than this. Quinn knew Sam who knew Brittany who knew you who knew Quinn but the real problem was Sam knew Brittany and you had been in touch for awhile now but Quinn doesn't. You were afraid that he would accidentally tell her about it. Quinn would go ape-shit if she ever knew about it.

"Are you close friends of Brittany Susan Pierce?" a man in white coat walked up to you, holding a clipboard in his hand.

All of you turned around and looked at the doctor as he stood there. The doctor who knew how Brittany was doing.

/

Important A/N: I'm just going to go ahead and tell you that I'm currently writing chapter 11. I'm telling you this because if you're wondering why it takes me longer to update from chapter 10 onwards, it's most probably because I'm still planning and writing them. And I'm also sick this week and school assignments are piling up like there's no tomorrow which is why it's taking me awhile to update. I know it's an excuse but I'm stressed out and currently having a writer's block. I hope you understand. :( Thank you for reading! -Frae


	8. Chapter 8 - If I Could Go Back

A/N: Didn't see that coming? Haha, I'm sorry. That idea had been bugging me for months so I decided to finally write it. I'm so glad you loved it. Thank you for the nice reviews. Oh, updates will be later than said mainly because of my hectic schedule. I hope this chapter will make up for the sudden accident in the last one. :) Enjoy and review if you want to.

CHAPTER 8 – If I Could Go Back and Change Everything

You watched on as Sam was being pulled to the side by the doctor. You couldn't quite read their lips but from Sam's body language, you knew it was not entirely good news. You were too busy staring at them to even notice Quinn tapping on your shoulder for the hundredth time. It was when she slapped your shoulder that you turned around to pay her the attention she desperately wanted.

"What?" you raised your voice as you placed a hand over the spot she had just assaulted.

"I asked you what you think they could possibly be talking about," she deadpanned. "But you were too invested just staring at them."

"Sorry… from what I can see," you stared back at the two men at the side. "It's probably not good news."

Both of you kept silent for a few seconds before something else made you smirk. You slowly tore you gaze from the men and smirked slyly at Quinn.

"Soooo... you and Sam, huh?" you teased. "What's up with the two of you? I wants details."

"It's not what you think," she backed up a little. "Nothing happened between us. He just bought me drinks and… then we danced a little before I got too drunk and had to be sent home."

You were not exactly buying her story. "Did anything freaky happen? C'mon, do you really expect me to believe that?"

"What? No!" she quickly countered. "Why are you so close to Brittany anyway? You've never been this... caring when I got into a car accident. Is there something you're hiding from me? Speaking of which, why did you take my car? Did you know how hard it was for me to find a cab at this hour?"

_Yes, but you wouldn't understand. How am I supposed to explain this to you if I don't even know what I'm doing right now?_

"I am not hiding anything from you," you lied, more interested in your fingers than Quinn. "She's just a really talented girl… but what do you care anyway?"

You ignored her other questions. Quinn saw how much you wanted to avoid that talk, and turned to the front and stared into nothing in particular. The long uncomfortable silence made you think of the feelings you had toward Brittany and what it was about her that made you stayed but you couldn't come up with anything. She was like a drug you were slowly getting addicted to. Your train of thoughts was lost when Quinn finally decided to break the silence.

"Santana, I'm sorry," she spoke, her body facing you. "I didn't mean to reopen those wounds… you know I love you and I would die if I were to see you suffer like that again. I just want the best for you and –"

You stopped her from proceeding any further. You didn't want to be reminded of those past you so badly want to forget even if it meant you have to hurt your friend. Quinn looked away and kept quiet. You could see how guilt-ridden she looked from the corner of your eye. She seemed so small and fragile but you weren't too eager to forgive her just yet.

Sam finally walked back to the both of you with his hands clutched in front of him. Quinn and you immediately turned to him when he reached and to hear the revealed news. You were relieved upon knowing that Brittany was well-taken care of and was doing fine but what he added right after took you completely by surprise.

"What do you mean?" you asked.

"She'll have to be checked every once in a while for any signs of depression or suicidal thoughts after her discharge because if she were to ever commit such act again, she will have to be admitted into rehab again," Sam calmly delivered.

You didn't quite understand what he was trying to say. It sounded as if Brittany had been admitted into the hospital for drug overdose before but you weren't entirely sure. Sam did not explain any further but went ahead to tell you that the doctors had found traces of alcohol in her blood which could be fatal when mixed with the amount of pills she had consumed.

_Brittany drank?_ You frowned because from what she told you earlier, she hadn't had any drinks but it seemed like some people do keep secrets... lie. You went ahead to ask if you were allowed to see her but Sam said Brittany wasn't allowed any until noon. You were a little disappointed at first but you soon understood why Brittany needed some time to herself. She was trying to get away from something. That something could be you. So you stood up and tossed Quinn her car key back as you gestured her to send you home, dejected.

When you stepped out of the building, you were blinded by bright flashes emitted from the cameras. You had totally forgotten about the Medias because you were so worried about Brittany. They threw questions of why you were there in the wee hours of the morning and who you were there for but you kept your mouth shut and your head down as you walked past them.

"Are you here because of the blonde dancer?" shouted one of the reporters.

You stilled yourself and stared at the man who shouted it aloud. Your eyes opened wide and your heart started to pick up pace. Quinn noticed your sudden movement and whispered into your ear to ignore them and keep on walking.

By the time you had entered her car, the paparazzi and reporters had crowded to the right of it in hope to get a sentence out of you but Quinn had stepped on the gas and drove off. The nine minute journey home was a silent one. You focused on everything and nothing out the window and Quinn was busy focusing on the road. It was when you were at the private garage door that Quinn spoke.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

You nodded but she could tell that you were clearly not doing well. You kept your head down as you walked up the steps and into the apartment via the back door. You did not stop to make your usual trip to the kitchen but instead headed straight to your room. After shutting the door, you leaned against it and slid down to the ground. You felt your heart beginning to ache and your breath become shallower as you recalled all that had happened in the past few hours.

How Brittany had gotten from being cheerful to being depressed then to being hospitalized in just a period of six short hours.

You found yourself tearing up by the door as you began to think of the possibilities of it being your fault. You felt like you were the main reason why Brittany decided to open up and hence the incident after she had dropped you off. You felt like history just repeated itself.

For the past few years, you had been blaming yourself for what had happened during that incident that occurred in your eleventh grade. You were so broken that you did unimaginable things just to help you forget it but it only led to bigger and more complicated things.

You were so afraid of it happening again.

By the time you woke up from your little nap, you found yourself lying on the floor by the door. Your face was sticky from the earlier cry and your hair was disheveled. You stretched out your hand to your purse that had been tossed not far from where you were lying and took out your phone.

"11:30," you said to yourself as you picked yourself off the floor.

Brittany was allowed visitors in less than an hour and you were still in your nightwear and cardigan. You opened your door as quietly as you could but the door creaked, alerting whoever was in the apartment that you were awake.

You heard Quinn called out your name from across the hall and greeting you. You stepped out of your room and made your way to the kitchen where Quinn was and the moment you stepped into the kitchen, you were greeted by the heavenly smell of bacon Quinn was frying. You sat yourself at the island as you watched as Quinn makes you brunch.

"I suppose you're off to see Brittany later," she said as she plated the cooked bacon strips on two plates with beans and eggs on the side.

You hummed as you began drawing imaginary circled on the island top. Quinn came over with the plates and served you one along with the cutleries. You noticed her studying you as you played around with your food. As much as you knew you needed the energy to start the day, your appetite was just not there. Quinn even asked you to take at least a bite or two but your body just refused. You could see the disappointment painted all over her face as she cleaned up the plates and brought it over to the sink before turning around to face you.

"I'm sorry, Q," you looked down, hands hiding behind the island. "I'm in no mood to eat right now."

"How about I drive you to see Brittany and then get you something to eat while you talk to her?" she suggested.

You threw Quinn a tight smile as you agreed to her plan. You got up from your seat and headed to the bathroom in your room as you took a quick shower to wash off the stickiness from the crying as well as the sweat. After dressing up in a pair of black skinny jeans and a NYADA hoodie along with an aviator to hide the lack of makeup on your face, you told Quinn you would wait in the car while she do some last minute errands.

By the time you reached the hospital, you went straight to the receptionist and asked for Brittany's ward number before heading there while Quinn went to grab you lunch from the canteen. Thank god Brittany was placed in a private ward or you would have been engulfed by other visitors asking you for a photo.

There she was, fast asleep on her bed. You smiled at how peaceful she looked as you stepped closer to her. You topped your hand on hers and just looked at how peaceful she looked. After a few seconds, you decided to sit down on the chair next to her as you wait for her to wake up.

It didn't seem like she would wake up any time soon so you took off your aviators and set it on the side table as you began scrolling through your twitter timeline on your phone. There were a few tweets about your sightings at the hospital but that was as far as it got. There were no mentions of Brittany or any other person in any of them which you were thankful for.

After finding the site boring, you went on to look at your Facebook. Out of curiosity, you entered Brittany's name in the search bar and scrolled through the matched names until your eyes sat on one. A display picture of a young blonde woman with a moustache drawn on her finger placed just above her top lip and the other hand in a salutation made you smile. You had found Brittany's personal Facebook account.

You went on to view her profile when you came across one very familiar figure in one of her photos. You enlarged the image and narrowed your eyes, bringing your phone closer to get a better view. It was then that you realized it was you who was lying down with your back facing the camera on some kind of stage. No, it was on the Staples Centre stage on the day before the opening show. Brittany had somehow managed to snap a picture of you sleeping after your session together and uploaded it online. A part of you felt violated but the other part didn't have the heart to be mad at her.

You looked at the caption that came along with the photo but it only read "aww just look at her.". The comments however were filled with questions asking if that was you or was it just someone else but Brittany never did answer them. It was either she did not bother to check her notifications or she wanted to protect you. Either way, you still found yourself grinning widely at the photo.

"What are you looking at?" you almost jumped out of your skin upon hearing Brittany mumbling to you.

"Brittany, you're awake," you stated the obvious as you sat upright and faced your body fully toward her.

"When did you get here?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes to rid the last of the sleep away.

You told her not long ago and watched her propped herself up into a sitting position. Brittany then looked at you with kind eyes and soft smile as she thanked you for coming in to see her. She reached out to hold your hand which you gladly held out as she stared adoringly into your eyes. You could see how exhausted and weak she was.

You took in a deep breath and prepared yourself to what you were going to ask her. "Why did you lie to me?"

Brittany looked at you with knitted brows, clearly not catching what you were trying to say. You took another deep breath and looked down before looking back up into her eyes.

"Why did you lie to me about not having a drink?" it came out as a pleading than a question. "Why did you take all those pills?"

Brittany broke the eye contact and let go of your hand, finding the bed sheet more interesting than you. She kept quiet for the next twenty one seconds before she answered your question.

"I thought having a drink wouldn't affect me so much," she began, voice timid. "I wasn't drunk or buzzed so I thought it was fine to drive."

"The pills?" you asked, eyes starting to sting from the tears that were threatening to spill. "If it was me, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It wasn't you," she interrupted. "Remember when I told you about my dad and my sister?"

You nodded but still not able to understand where she was going.

"Right after my dad passed, I reached an all-time low," she continued. "I suffered from depression throughout college and kept my distance from everyone, even my mom and sister. Then, it was time for my sister to leave for college which worsened my depression. She stopped talking to me after a couple months in college when she found out… um… basically what I'm trying to say here is that my depression came back to haunt me."

_Found out what?_

You frowned at the untold story but didn't want to pry. "So you took the pills for?"

"To help me sleep," she answered, her voice showed signs of fragility. "I hadn't been sleeping well lately. I only took those pills to help me but yesterday… yesterday was more like to help me sleep my pain away… forever."

Your eyes widened at her words. Who knew behind this cheerful exterior lies a broken sad soul? You got off your seat and awkwardly hugged her in hope of comforting the blonde. You slowly got used to the position and the awkwardness was almost gone as you stroke her hair and rocked her back and forth. You heard her sniffling and you shushed her down by repeating the same comforting words over and over.

Suddenly, a younger looking blonde barged into the room with a worried look plastered all over her face.

"Brittany! Are you okay?" exclaimed the younger female blonde.

You immediately stepped away from Brittany and stood awkwardly by her side with your hands behind your back and head low. You saw Brittany sat up straighter as she wiped away her tears and locked eyes with her.

"Hayl-Hayley?" Brittany struggled.

It took her awhile to finally realize that her sister was here and when Hayley held her hands, she finally let it sink in. You darted your eyes between the two blondes in the room, still very much confused especially after what Brittany had partially revealed to you. You watched on as Hayley threw multiple questions at her sister who looked pretty overwhelmed by them.

"Hayley, Hayley!" Brittany interrupted as Hayley stopped her actions and waited for her to continue. "Meet Santana. Santana, this is Hayley, my sister."

Hayley spun around and stood there wide-eyed as you did a small wave at her. You awkwardly stood at your spot as she continued staring at you. You cleared your throat and greeted her shyly before locking eyes with Brittany, hoping for this awkward moment to pass as soon as possible.

"Hayley?" Brittany tapped on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

She only managed to stutter out incoherent words while still maintaining the eye contact with you. You could see how star-struck she was which was rather hilarious at first but it was just beginning to feel creepy.

"Nice to meet you. I, um, your sister, she worked for me so…" you dragged out, unable to think of what else to say. "Do you need some time because I can wait outside if you like?"

"Thanks Santana," Brittany shot you an apologetic look as you awkwardly walked out of the ward.

You leaned against the wall as you wait for the two sisters to finish catching up or until Hayley invites you in. In the meantime, you were left outside and the only thing entertaining you was scrolling down your dry Twitter timeline, stalking people on Facebook and looking at weird posts on Tumblr.

Then, you heard Hayley saying something about Brittany being friends with you or rather, squealing about it. You couldn't help but smiled at her adorableness. Apparently, Brittany and Hayley had more in common than you previously thought. Quinn walked up to you with a sandwich she bought from the hospital canteen, staring at you confused.

"Brittany's getting checked up again?" she asked you.

Before you even got to answer her question, Hayley's squealing escaped the room.

"Oh my god! How come you didn't tell me about this?" she squealed. "So how is she? Is she as sassy in real life?"

Quinn looked back at you with a smirk on her face. She handed your sandwich over and leaned on the wall beside you. You couldn't hold in your laugh anymore and burst out laughing at Hayley's excitement. Your cheeks began to redden by the second.

"That's her sister, Hayley," you told her, staring at the floor with your arms crossed across your chest.

"No, not really, she's really sweet actually," you heard Brittany say to her sister in the ward. "She may look intimidating but she really isn't… you know, I think she's intimidated by me."

Quinn elbowed you in the ribs, sending you cowering in pain. Instead of being mad at her, you just laughed it off because you were not expecting such compliments coming from Brittany. Quinn wiggled her eyebrows at you and tried stifling her laugh.

"Shut up," you smiled, unable to be mad at her. "It's not my fault she's scary."

Quinn raised both her eyebrows at your words, finding it hard to believe what you just told her about Brittany.

"What? It's true," you frowned while still keeping your smile on. "Try being around her more. She makes me nervous."

"Nervous?" she mocked. "I didn't know you can get nervous. I thought you were numb to feelings… or so I thought."

You tried glaring at her but instantly failed. As if on cue, Hayley came out of the room to invite you in. She was still star-struck and couldn't voice out a word so you asked if it was okay for you to come in. She nodded frantically. You could see that she was holding her breath. You rested your right hand on her left shoulder and reminded her to breathe. Hayley flinched upon your touch as she let out an airy giggle.

You rested on arm around Hayley's neck and walked into the room with her. Quinn followed you behind. You could sense how happy she was under your arm. When Brittany was in sight, Hayley squeaked to her sister and excitedly pointed at you. Brittany laughed at her before shooting you a smile. You could see how jovial the younger blonde was. You were more than contented just seeing a young adult's dream come true.

"Hayley, I see that you've fulfilled your life time goal," Brittany told her sister. "So are we even now?"

She couldn't verbally answer her sister. She just stood there with teeth showing and hands shaking. She was hyperventilating under your arm due to the fact that you were touching her. You rolled your eyes playfully and shook your head as you looked back to Brittany who was just as amused by her as you were.

"What's even?" Quinn asked as she entered the room with her eyebrows raised.

"Meeting celebrities," Brittany smiled.

Quinn hummed at her as she made her way to Brittany's bedside. She just stood there looking down at Brittany as if she was observing a viewing ceremony. Just as you were starting to warm up to Hayley, you felt your phone vibrated from inside your back pocket. You let go of her and dug it out from your pocket.

**McKenzie:** I heard. What happened? :(

You looked up at Brittany and then to the two girls in the room before staring back at your phone. You wanted to tell her but something inside you was going against it.

**Santana:** Just an accident. Nothing to worry abt. She's fine.

**McKenzie:** Do you need me to come down?

**Santana:** Nah, it's ok.

You immediately locked your phone and tucked it away. You replaced the frown with a fake smile and walked up toward the girls around Brittany's bed. Something just wasn't right. You were in no mood for a laugh or anything. That message McKenzie sent you had somehow made you realize that the situation could have been worst. But for now, you just had to treasure every single moment of your life because time was ticking and you knew for a fact that you do not have much time left in this world.

/

You had decided to walk around Venice beach alone a few hours after the hospital visit. You had to get the negative thoughts out of your mind. You had to unwind from all the unpleasant incidents and thoughts.

You felt the sand in between your toes and the coldness of the breeze. You kicked the sand lazily as you strolled along the beach. With your hands in your pockets and the hood up, it helped you to lower down your profile. You sat yourself down somewhere away from the crowded area of the beach and stared into the distant.

The sun was just about to settle down and the seagulls had hushed down. You wrapped your arms around your legs and rested your chin on them as you continued staring in to the far distant.

You started humming softly to yourself. Unable to keep humming for long, you started singing softly to yourself.

**We should go to sleep now**

**You should stay the night**

**I'll be off to watch the world around us live and die**

**Lying on the grass now**

**Dancing for the stars**

**Maybe one will look on down and tell us who we are**

**We might fall, we might fall**

**We might fall Halle, we might fall**

**We might fall, we might fall**

**We might fall Halle, we might fall**

You stopped your singing abruptly after the first verse and chorus. You didn't know why but you just did. You didn't even know why you were singing that particular song. The only line that connected to you right now was about watching the world around you live and die. You felt your heart clenched at the thought. Time was indeed running out, maybe not for you but it could well be one of your loved ones'.

You pulled out your phone and searched for your parent's house number. You waited as the call was being processed. At the fifth ring, the line was answered. The voice at the end of the line turned your frown upside down. It had been awhile since you last heard her voice. You tore your gaze away from the sea and looked down onto the sand as you answer your mom.

"I'm fine, mami," you smiled. "How are you and papi doing?"

You heard her laughed but you knew she wasn't laughing because it was funny. This was your first phone call home in three months and for her to finally be able to hear your voice was anything a parent could ask for.

"He's doing alright," your mom replied before sighing. "We miss you, mija."

Your heart ached at that sentence. You weren't exactly the daughter of the year and you knew that your parents were missing you but to hear that come out from your mother's mouth was an entirely different experience. You began to feel like you weren't being the best child. You wanted so badly to go to her and give her a hug when you heard her lightly sobbing at the other end of the line.

"I miss you too," you spoke softly. "I'd do anything to be with you and papi, you know that but I can't do it right now. I promise I'll come and see you and papi as soon as my schedule allows me too. I love you."

You listened to your mom talk about what they had been doing while you were gone and you couldn't help but smiled and nodded at every word she said. Tears were streaming down your face and you tried your hardest not to sniffle. You didn't want your mom to worry about you now because right now, you wanted to know how she was doing. You didn't want this call to be about you. You were smiling during the entire span of the phone call. Your mom's enthusiastic tone and the emotions that came with it, made you realize how homesick you were.

"Come home whenever you can, mija," your mom spoke softly, you could almost hear the sadness in it. "Don't stress yourself out and say hi to Quinn for me, will you?"

"I will, mami," you smiled. "I love you and tell dad I love him too."

You hung up the phone and set it by your feet. You let out a sigh and looked straight at the ocean. There was music blasting not far from you. People were partying and making so much noise that it disturbed you from the peaceful atmosphere you were in before. You turned your head to the left and stared at them. You were in no mood to shout at anyone or do anything for that matter. You just sat there and stared at them.

"Santana? What are you doing here?" a familiar voice emerged from behind you.

You strained your neck back and your eyes met with the glasz ones as well as the hazel ones. They made their way to your side and stood there as you greeted them. You saw their fingers intertwined and their exchanging glances at each other.

"I just need some place to think," you looked back down at the sand before looking back up at Kurt.

"You're here alone?" Blaine asked, looking around in search for anyone else that could have possibly come with you.

You looked at the sand and nodded as you began drawing lines on it. You sighed and looked straight ahead at nothing in particular. Kurt shuffled on his feet and inched closer to you. You stayed silent for awhile longer.

"Have you ever stop and think about your life?" you asked but not to anyone in particular. "How fast it's going? It felt like just yesterday we were in Mr Schue's class and today, we're… _here_."

Kurt let go of Blaine's hand and tucked both of him into his pockets. You heard him take in a deep breath before exhaling it out audibly. You waited for him to say something back but he never did.

"I wish I could go back and relive those moments," you paused. "Maybe change some that I'm not proud of. I wish I had the second chance to make things right."

_Make things right... Make your previous relationship work…_

Kurt settled himself down next to you and stared straight ahead before speaking his opinion. "Santana," Kurt cupped your knee. "I think the reason why people hold on to memories so tight for so long is because memories do not change… even if people do. What I'm trying to say here is let bygones be bygones but make sure you keep those moments close to you because it might be the only thing that you're left with because friendships and relationships may end but the memories stay even after they're gone."

You sucked in both your lips and looked down at his hand that was cupping your knee. He was right; memories do not change even if people do. Whatever your past was, even if you were not proud of it, those were the only thing that kept you alive. If you were able to dig deeper into your past, you were sure you had more happy memories than the ones that only tore you down.

You laid your hand over his and took in a deep breath before huffing it out. You looked up to him with the most sincere look you could muster and mouthed out a thank you. Kurt was a good man. You two may not have been the best of buddies back in high school but somehow things worked out between you two. You thought he would hate you for bullying him but he had become your pillar of strength when you were outed by your own clique. Not to mention that he was also one of the two people who helped you get through your breakdown after the eleventh grade incident. He was one in a million.

You craned your neck back to where Blaine was standing awkwardly as he watched you and Kurt talk. You didn't know what to say to him so you just threw him a tight smile and nodded. You let out an audible sigh before looking briefly at Kurt and then back at him.

"You take care of Kurt, alright?" you requested. "He's a great guy and I wouldn't want to see him hurt. He's like my pillar of hope, my little brother and I want you to be his pillar. That's all I'm asking for. Take good care of my little Porcelain for me."

A wide smile spread across his face as he looked down in shyness. You felt Kurt's eyes on you after your little impromptu request. It had to be done. You didn't want him to get hurt like you did because you were so sure nothing would happen to you. You made sure nothing like that ever happens to anyone you love.


End file.
